New Beginnings
by Miss-Nami-Shiawase
Summary: Katherine Manx and Doggie Cruger have been celebrating the fall of Omni the same as everyone else. However, the celebration brings about a discovery of theirs, offering an entirely new way of life. Hooray for adorability (not a word, I fully acknowledge) of Kat/Doggie! Please enjoy and review!
1. Discovery

_Discovery_

Kat bounces her leg impatiently as she waits for Felix to get back with her test results. She's the only one there (at three in the morning) so, to her mind he should be done by now. Of course, she does feel a little bad about bothering him at this ungodly hour, but this is the only time she can have the privacy she really needs.

"Okay, Kat," Felix comes back out, yawning and rubbing his eyes childishly. The tip of his nightcap sits by his small muzzle. "I have your results, and you were right."

"I was right?" she asks, happy and terrified all at once.

"You're about two and a half weeks along," he nods. "Everything okay, Kat?—there a reason you could only come in for this at three in the morning?"

"I'm sorry, Felix, really, I just," Kat frowns and twitches her head around nervously. Leaning in, she lowers her voice substantially. "I could only come in now because I knew you'd be the only one here, and not even Doggie would know I came."

"Why would—" Felix catches Kat's wide–eyed look of warning and gasps. "Kat, if he's the father, you have to tell him!"

"I will," she whispers frantically, "I just...have to find the right time."

"How long...y'know?" Felix scratches the back of his neck, only slightly embarrassed to be having this conversation with his friend. True, he had a brief crush on her in his first few weeks (almost everyone did), but their companionship has become more like her relationship with Boom.

"About two and a half weeks," she raises her eyebrow, lips quirked to the side. "Just around after the fall of Omni."

"After he found out his wife..." Felix trails off, both with bowed heads. "Okay, come in for checkups every other week, eat healthy, you're a doctor, you know the drill—and bring Cruger, next time. If I see you in here again without him I'll tell him myself."

"You wouldn't dare and you know I'm not a doctor–doctor," she sighs, folding the paper carefully.

"I do know that you passed the med program at the academy no problem, it's just not your listed field," Felix smiles, enjoying their easy banter. "Take care, Kat, and I'll see you soon."

"Thank you, Felix," Kat hugs her friend and slips out silently. Her walk back to her room is anxious and filled with pessimistic thoughts. She tries to slip back into her bed undetected but the body next to her rolls over. "I'm sorry, Doggie, did I wake you?"

"No, but where were you?" he asks, drawing her body to his automatically.

"Nothing," she tries to brush off until morning, draping her robe off her desk chair.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" Cruger frowns at her.

Kat cracks a smile at the pet–name and curls into him. His warmth brings purrs unbidden from her throat. "Can't it wait until morning?"

"Nice try, Kat," Cruger chuckles. He dares not mention it to her, knowing how self–conscious she is, but he loves her purring. The slight rumbling through her throat is comforting to him. "Tell me, Kat."

Kat takes a deep breath, trying to ready herself for this. She isn't sure how to approach it, especially since they hadn't exactly talked about it. They haven't even really talked about "them". Mostly, the past few weeks had been pure, zealous, ecstatic celebration. In all the times they have slept together it was usually over by morning. During the day they'd be elusive and coy, then he'd come to her room – or occasionally her, to his – and they'd make torturously sweet love. Then the cycle would start again.

So far, she has been trying to curb her emotions. Something very hard was to _not_ say those three little words. She doesn't know if he's ready for that, nor does she really want to push it. There's no way to tell how he feels about it, or if he feels anything. It's insecure, she acknowledges that completely, but she can't help but wonder if this all means the same to him as it does to her.

"Kat, you can tell me," Doggie looks at the slight woman in his arms with soft eyes. He has been trying to find a way of telling her how much she means to him. Properly, too, as opposed to the barely audible terms of affection he has said during... He wants to tell her he loves her, but they haven't even been on a proper date yet. Some _great_ nights together, but there was nothing particularly romantic. Taking her hand he nudges her with his muzzle affectionately. "Tell me."

"I'm pregnant," she lets out, the words riding on a sigh.

With enough control Doggie manages to convince his body to not jerk up at the news. Instead, he remains perfectly, eerily still. Still, he makes sure to clutch her hand tighter. "When...are you...did... "

"I'm sure, I tested, I'm about two and a half weeks along," Kat continues with trepidation. He's taking things pretty well but she reaches to her bathrobe and shows him the results anyway.

"Three...this is where you were?" Doggie frowns at Kat, who doesn't look at him. He touches his cold, wet nose to the speckles dotting her left cheek bone. She smiles automatically in response and he takes it as a good sign. "Kat, look at me."

Kat collects all her nerves and looks up at her friend – and lover – to find his eyes bright. "H–how do you feel about this?"

In reply, Doggie bends his muzzle and places a kiss on Kat's midriff. "The woman I love is carrying my pup, how can I not be happy?"

Kat takes in a shaky gasp, at both the sensation of Doggie nuzzling the beginnings of their baby, and at his words. "T–the woman you...Doggie, you...you love me?"

"Of course," he moves swiftly to capture her lips in his, sweetly curving them into his own. "I love you, Kat; I have for years. I love you, and I love this pup."

Kat smiles through the kiss and continues to beam as he releases her. Collecting her breath again she looks at him, "what if it's a kit?"

"Well, I suppose, but my genes are dominant to yours," he notes casually. He draws them back to the bed, Kat in his arms. Toying with her curls, he tilts his head at her. "We're going to have a baby."

"We?" Kat smiles and kisses him. "You don't have to birth a half–Sirian–half–Feli youngling."

"True, but I'll be there when you do," Doggie lays another kiss on Kat's lips before turning serious. "Kat, will you marry me?

"Oh, Doggie," Kat's tone starts out hesitant but she pauses as he reaches to his coat pocket, pulling out a small, velvet box. Realization dawns on her. "Doggie, you didn't... "

"I've had this for a couple months now," he opens the box, revealing a sparkling silver band, housing a complete ring of diamonds, enclosed by two rows of emeralds. "Marry me."

"Doggie, you don't have to do this," Kat shakes her head, overwhelmed.

"I told you, I've had this for months. They made me think of your eyes," he gestures to the rings of emerald enclosing the diamond row. "Now, will you marry me?"

Kat smiles and slips the ring on. "I suppose so."


	2. Planning

_Planning_

Syd plows through the command center as if there were a fire at her heels. Her blond curls fly behind her like a horse's mane as she charges her way to Kat's lab. There was a call for B–Squad to come to the lab for an urgent message. While that wouldn't necessarily incite this kind of reaction normally, she heard from Boom that there's something wrong, because Dr. Felix is there.

In Kat's lab sit Jack, Sky, Bridge, Z and Boom. They're seated around the primary console in the center of the sunken area, while Kat sits her desk in the elevated section. Doggie stands to her left while Felix stands to her right.

"What's up?" Syd asks, slightly out of breath. "I...got...a text...saying that...something...was wrong...Dr. Felix...Kat... "

"You need to run more," Z mutters in quiet mocking of her roommate.

"Shut up," Syd groans and plops herself into the seat next to Z.

"Rangers, Boom, I've called you here for a very important reason," Kat stands, very aware of Doggie's presence lingering by her side. "I have some big news."

"You're pregnant!" Syd bursts immediately.

Kat throws her hands up and sighs. "Yes, thanks for guessing."

"Oh my gosh, really?" Syd asks, surprised. "It was just the first thing I guessed, but you're really pregnant?"

"Yes, I am," Kat smiles at her kids, slipping her hands back into her lab coat pockets.

The rangers fumble for answers for a few minutes. Jack blinks a few times before nodding just for the sake of nodding. Sky remains stony in expression, but his eyebrows shoot up a mile high at the news. Z's jaw hangs open and Syd's finger remains pointed at Kat.

Boom faints.

Bridge, trying to decipher many things at once, takes off a glove and waves a hand. He feels Kat's aura, aglow and warmer than normal with maternal joy. With concentration he can feel a faint, thin aura emanating from her stomach. When he turns to Cruger he feels the aura full of love and pride. A few of their thoughts drift into his mind as he reads the auras and he shakes his head a bit. The baby's beginning of an aura prompts him to keep one glove off, though. There's something hypnotic about it, like listening to the tiniest ticking of a clock.

"DC?" Z asks once the shock has worn off. "This...are you the dad?"

"I am," he nods once, seriously. He is still smiling, though.

Again, Kat throws her hands up; is her personal life this predictable? After the kids remain silent for a few more moments (no one really bothered to pick Boom up off the floor) she continues. "Anyway, we've gathered you because this is a big thing, and we'll need your help over the next few months."

"Of course, Kat, congratulations!" Z and Syd both run at the older woman, hugging her gently. "When are you due?"

"Well, rangers, that's why I'm here," Felix steps forward, watching as they pick up a queasy looking Boom. "The mixing of Kat and Doggie's genes is a tricky business."

"What do you mean, tricky?" Jack asks.

"You see, Kat's Feli genes are recessive to Doggie's dominant ones, but will still be a contributing factor. Most Feli young are born within six months, and it's usually a litter when it happens, but this mix of genes will only produce one at a time. This is for the better, but still, things will be harder on Kat." Felix pauses for a moment and sees the rangers looking on anxiously, worried for their friend. "The pregnancy itself will take a huge toll on her, and she won't have much strength for the gestation period. She'll need an incredible amount of assistance with every day things, and I'll have some special vitamins to help keep up her immune systems. She'll have a regimen diet designed for her body in contrast with and to help the baby, since their systems will be so different. There's no telling how the genetics will mix until the baby is more developed."

"Will we know if it's a pup or a kit, then?" Doggie asks from Kat's side.

"Yes, we can know that, if it's a boy or a girl, and what procedure to take in the birth," Felix replies.

"What procedure?" Syd tilts her head.

"Well, Feli births are usually natural, because the body knows it's having a litter, and can take up to forty hours. Sirian births, however, also produce litters, but because Sirians are tougher beings in general, it's a little more stressful. A Sirian delivery takes no more than six hours, but it is a laborious task, and can be very dangerous. The effort of pushing a Sirian pup can take its toll on the mother, even when she's Sirian and an equally conditioned being. The toll it could take on Kat," Felix looks at Kat, who nods for him to continue. "It could kill her."

"What?!" Boom reacts first, jumping up in a panic. "Having this baby could kill her?!"

"Boom, it's all right," Kat tries to assuage the young man.

"As I was saying, there are procedures for this. This mix of genes is rare, but it has occurred before. One way to birth the youngling would be to do an Earth style Caesarean, though we can't know if that will work since, if it's a pup, its embryotic sac will be too hard to remove safely. If it's a kit, it would be possible. Another way to deliver would be a Sirian gentle labor, in which Kat would have to be laid sideways when dilation—"

"Gaaaaaaahh!—stop it, stop, stop it!" Jack blurts, having been completely freaked out by the time Felix said "embryotic". After collecting himself and forcing down his gag reflex he looks up again, "what is safest for Kat?"

"Either a Caesarean for a kit, or gentle labor for a pup," Felix says as simply as he can. He understands their alarm and can relate to it in a way. His worry for Kat is not just as her doctor but also as her friend. Looking up at Doggie, who already knew this, he looks no less disturbed by it. "Does anyone have any questions?"

"How far along are you?" Sky asks, snapped out of his shock.

"About two and a half weeks," Kat shrugs slightly.

"You two have been doing it that long?!" Jack blurts before Z jabs him in the ribs.

"Yes, Kat and I have been mates since just after the fall of Omni," Doggie clarifies in a more appropriate manner.

Kat blushes a vibrant pink at the term "mate", both endearing and suggestive, especially at the ranger's sly grins. Looking down at her shoes she clears her throat. "And, as of this morning, we are also engaged."

Syd lets out a scream high pitched enough to communicate with dolphins. In a second she is out of her seat and examining Kat's (very impressive) ring. "Oh my—Kat this is gorgeous! Nice job, sir, this is legit karat quality!"

Z rolls her eyes but also gravitates towards Kat. At the sight of the ring she lets out a whistle, "nice going, DC! Kat, this is incredible!—when's the wedding?"

"Well, we haven't decided yet," Kat admits sheepishly as the girls continue to drool over her ring.

"SAY NO MORE!" Syd declares, still at a decipal level twice as big as her size would suggest. "I'll take care of everything—it'll be perfect!"

"Now, Syd, just something small. Feli and Sirian weddings are barely even a thing." Kat looks helplessly at Doggie over her shoulder, who seems amused. "We'll need an officiant for an Earth wedding, though. I heard you can get something really quickly at a courthouse, or a city hall?"

"No, absolutely not, Kat," Syd brings the woman's face back around. "You are going to let me design you a proper wedding."

"I hate to say it, but Syd is really good at this thing," Sky admits, also getting up and going over to them. "She used to arrange all her own birthday things."

"Mine and Jack's birthdays," Syd corrects, throwing her friend a smile. She realizes something; "wait, why do you hate to say it?"

Jack smiles at their group princess, who has grown as a person a great deal. "Thanks, Syd; Kat, let us do this for you. You guys should have a proper wedding."

"Fine, but Felix said I should start showing in another three weeks or so; you have until then." Kat reiterates firmly.

"Yes, thank you, this'll be epic!" Syd jumps up and down, clapping her hands rapidly. "Okay, planning!—Z, as maid of honor, you'll have to help me with my planner stuff. I'll be a bridesmaid, Jack and Bridge will be groomsmen. Sky, you'll be best man, Boom, you'll give Kat away."

Everyone looks between themselves as Syd walks out, still muttering to herself, RIC beside her, taking dictation. Since she has things pretty figured out they decide to just let her be. Sky speaks up first, "so, Kat, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, thank you, Sky." Kat smiles at one of her boys, instinctively holding a hand to her still flat torso. "How do all of you feel about this? I know this might be a bit of a surprise."

"There's actually a betting pool on when you'll get together, whether you already were or not, when it would be made public if you were..." Bridge corrects from the back. "The baby thing, now, that is a surprise."

"That'll be all for now, Cadets," Doggie halts them, sensing Kat becoming tired. The slight sag in her shoulders is enough for him. "I'll contact you when we know more, for now my mate needs her rest."

The cadets smile again at the term and slip out quietly, following Felix and bombarding him with questions.

Kat blushes again at Doggie's term for their relationship. "Doggie—"

"Here, sit," Doggie guides her to her chair by her tiny shoulders. "You need to take a break, Kat, it has been a big morning."

"I can't believe how tired I feel, I haven't done anything," Kat sighs, feeling the fatigue in her bones. "The little one doesn't even weigh anything yet."

"Kat, this is very worrying," Doggie frowns at his fiancé. "It's going to be so hard on you, and as much as Felix can do to help—"

"Doggie, it's going to be fine. I can handle our pup," Kat kisses him, "or kit."

Doggie takes Kat's hand in his and kisses her again. "Kat, you are the mother of my pup, and my wife to be. I want you to be well taken care of."

"Sentimental, old dog," Kat kisses her soon to be husband.


	3. Checkup One

_Checkup One_

"Hello Doggie," Felix turns to see Doggie Cruger, literally carrying in a sleeping Kat, bridal style. Felix frowns, "...Kat?"

"She fell asleep seven times on our way out the door," Doggie says gravely in his rumbling, deep voice. "I'm very worried, Felix."

"Hm, this isn't too abnormal given the conditions, but I'll run some tests just to be sure," Felix assures him. As Doggie sets Kat on the examination bed, Felix flips on the scanner, which gives him a biometric scan of all of her systems. The beginnings of the pup look fine, but Kat's systems are moving at an alarming rate, trying to nourish her and the baby. "This level of exhaustion is a little extreme, but nothing we can't handle. I have her vitamins and dietary regimen all ready for her, so those should help. After that, it will be up to Kat to make sure she gets herself enough sleep for the two of them. Try not to worry, Doggie, we're going to take good care of her."

"I know, I'm just beside myself. I feel so helpless," Doggie feels his instinct pull his muzzle down to the bed, where he lays it against her hand. A faint whining noise comes from him in sympathy. He nudges her hand a few more times in affection and sits up again. "The mother of my pup can barely walk and I can't do anything for her."

"You carried her here, made sure she wouldn't miss the appointment, that's not nothing, Commander," Felix tries to assure his commanding officer. He has never seen Anubis Cruger this negative, or out of his mind with worry. "I know it's hard to see her like this, but it will all be worth it to everyone when that beautiful youngling arrives."

"Yes, that's true," Doggie sighs. His other worries are over his impending fatherhood. He never had a pup before, and now that it's a reality it hits him hard. Some part of him is afraid of his own shortcomings, another part is scared of just the thought of having a child in general. The part of him that's excited over the young one feels ecstatic, of course. However, there's just this little nagging feeling that he has so much on the line for this. Of any failures in his life the one he dreads the most is the possibility of failing Kat and his pup.

"Mm, Doggie," Kat stirs in her sleep. As Doggie slips his paw over her hand she recognizes it in her sleep and smiles. She settles herself again and begins purring.

"Sh, Kat, I'm here," Doggie soothes his mate and gives her cheek a little lick. His wet nose grazes her spotted cheek and takes in the fragrant scent of her hair. He forgets about Felix completely, focusing solely on the female before him. "The little one is looking good, my dear."

"It's looking good indeed," Felix interjects. He let them have their moment but there are things he needs to go over. "Make sure she takes the vitamins and sticks to the schedule. She'll have to sleep at least twelve hours a day from now on, so...good luck with that. She can still work in the lab, but just to be safe, she shouldn't be near chemicals for any extended amount of time. The youngling's development will come quickly—at least twice as quickly as Earth young grow. Kat will start showing slightly, but her stomach won't expand nearly as much as you might expect, so don't worry. Her Feli genes will disguise her pregnancy by hardening her torso around the young, forming a slight swelling, to protect the mother from being targeted by predators. Your Sirian genes likely won't affect this much, and, if they do, it will only mean that Kat's bump might be slightly bigger than it would be with a kit. Although she won't become large for the gestation period, she'll still have all the physical symptoms: swollen ankles, back pain, and she'll likely be just as tired as she is now, even with the vitamins."

Doggie shakes his head to himself, in habit. "This is a lot to take in, Felix."

"I know, and I'll write it all down for you. Plus, Kat knows all of this. It seems frightening now, but soon we'll have more concrete things to go on. For example, the more Kat sticks to the diet, the more we can tell how the youngling will respond. Once we know if it's a pup or a kit we can look into preparing for the actual birthing, and you can start thinking of names."

"Ooh, boy," Doggie sighs, slumping down further in his seat.

"Does Kat have any ideas on it yet?" Felix asks casually, in hopes of distracting him.

"I think she does, but she won't tell me. She never had kits before. She once mentioned that she and her husband had tried back on Felisia but never conceived any litters. Isinia and I never had any pups either," Doggie mumbles to himself, brows deeply furrowed and arms crossed tensely. "Have you, uh, ever had kits?"

"Oh, no," Felix laughs a little.

"Ah, I see," Doggie nods. They've been going on stilted conversation for awhile now. They'll have the occasional moment of comradery and then it's back to awkward small talk. Still, it's not reverse progress. "Could you tell me how the young one might be, with a mix of mine and Kat's breeds?"

"Well, it's likely it will turn out more Sirian than Feli, however, it likely won't have your muzzle. I have a muzzle, which is rare in our kind, but my breed of Feli–Leonus is different from Kat's pure Feli. Chances are it will get Kat's ears, but it could have yours, although the scales wouldn't be present either way. Its internal systems would be more like yours. There's an equal chance of it having yours or Kat's eyes—"

"I want it to have her eyes," Doggie says in a significant shift of softness. The air in the room changes at the foggy tone of voice. "Her eyes are so perfectly green... "

Felix smiles at the love–struck dog. "If you don't mind me asking, Doggie, how in the world did you fall in love with each other? I knew you were friends, and everyone had their suspicions, but I never actually knew until Kat asked me for the pregnancy test."

"We met long, long ago. I was part of the squadron dispatched to do recovery for her fallen planet. She was the only survivor we could find in the entirety of the planet. When she began working for SPD we became friends. I suppose I never truly realized my feelings for her, though, until just recently. I was reeling from the possibility of Isinia still being out there. Kat made me the Shadow morpher and it turned out that my stubbornness drove her right into Benaag's trap. When I got her back, it dawned on me that the relief I felt stemmed from the same kind of anxiety I had experienced when Isinia disappeared. In a way, I think this overlapping of emotion is what made me finally realize how much Kat means to me. Of course, I was too stubborn to do anything about it, like an old fool. Then, when I found out that Isinia had indeed...Kat was there for me, like always. I took the opportunity to tell her that I had loved her for a long time and it went from there."

"That's a beautiful story," Kat mumbles in a sleepy daze. She blinks her bleary eyes at her mate with a coy smile on her lips. "That lady of yours sounds like quite a catch; I'd be nice to her if I were you."

"Hm, I try my best," he lays a kiss on her cheek and brushes her small nose with his larger one. The wet of it leaves a spot of moisture on hers and he chuckles. "Did you have a good nap?"

"I did, thank you," she sighs peacefully. She doesn't seem to mind at all that she has woken on an examination bed. "What were you boys talking about while I was asleep?"

"Just guy talk," Felix supplies with a secretive smile between him and the Commander.


	4. Uncle Bridge

_Uncle Bridge_

Kat sits comfortably in the lounge, feet up at an optimum level, reading a scientific log. She spent a couple hours in the lab, mostly coding, and was sent out here by Boom shortly thereafter. Now, she reads up on quantum enhancer engineering affected by neutrino mechanics in the paradigm of loophole electromagneticism. For Kat, this is the nice "light reading" she needs to relax.

A hand rubs clockwise circles over her hardened torso. Her pale mid–section is still flat, but the tiniest bulge of the youngling is covered by rock hard swelling, to protect it. Although she doesn't show much, it feels prominent to her. The pup or kit is developing better than they could have hoped for, and with the vitamins keeping her energy in check, she can enjoy it. Syd's impromptu wedding is in five days, and the day after is the appointment that should tell them the breed and gender of the youngling. It is an exciting week!

"Hey, Kat," Bridge strides in with toast in his gloved hand. His ungloved one stands out strongly in contrast. He comes over to her easily and bends by her, waving, "hey, baby!"

"Hello, Bridge," Kat smiles fondly. "Are you here for another checkup?"

"Yep!" As Kat sits up and takes her hand from the young Bridge moves closer. He lets his bare hand hover above the spot of the youngling, absorbing its energy. "How does it look?"

Bridge smiles a tiny, quirky kind of smirk. Any grief he could have – but hasn't – experienced from having one bare hand is greatly outweighed by this feeling of joy, now. The aura of the baby is something entirely new to him, in all its tiny, peaceful glory. Its mellowness of simply being is like the butteriest of toast on the plate of his soul! "It's perfect—yes it is!"

Kat smiles at Bridge as he baby–talks to the little thing, reading its aura. She's slightly astounded it has an aura at this stage but through all the studies she's done on their civilian powers, she has never been able to decipher Bridge's psychopathy. She has never uncovered a concrete paradigm to its mechanics, or been able to monitor how exactly he reads aura waves. He remains a mystery—a quandary, if you will, but they wouldn't have him any other way.

"Uncle Bridge is gonna play with you all the time, and I'll tell you about auras, and teach you science, well, not as well as your mom, 'cause she's a doctor and I'm a Bridge, but not a bridge–bridge, but my name is Bridge, and—"

Kat lets Bridge drabble on to her young one easily, resisting the urge to run her fingers through his wild, brown hair. If she felt maternal towards her rangers before it's nothing compared to how she feels now. The other day she had to bite her tongue to keep from correcting Jack's grammar, and left before she could wipe the ketchup from Sky's burger off his cheek. However, in just a moment of weakness, she lets herself ruffle Bridge's hair affectionately. "Thank you, Bridge, for all your help."

"Of course, Kat," Bridge smiles up at her with the exuberance of a little boy. "You're, like, our mom, here, and the baby's so cute! Its aura is like a light turquoise color, it's so cool!"

Kat lets her hand linger in his thick brown locks. Her claws tickle his head but he doesn't mind. The green of her eyes becomes misty and a seriousness comes over her, curbing her smile into a smaller, meaningful smile. "I love you, all, Bridge. You're...well, you guys are as much as my kids as this little one."

Bridge sniffs and looks back to Kat's stomach to keep from crying. When he first came to the academy, he was instantly drawn to the beautiful matriarch in a lab coat. His interest usually kept him around the lab, but it wasn't until Kat decided to encourage it that he started fiddling in the lab. This created a new kind of relationship between them, and Boom, when he started. For as long as Bridge can remember in his SPD career, Kat has been the ruler of the technical domain, and he feels it fitting to treat her like a queen. "We love you too, Kat."

Kat doesn't hesitate now to keep her hand massaging his hair as he rests his head against her torso. His ear presses against the hardness of her belly and his arms adjust by going slightly around her back in a hug. She just sighs at the peace of the moment. The warmth of Bridge makes her feel fuzzy inside. "So, you're Uncle Bridge now, are you?"

"Yeah, I mean, I considered that we could be like cousins, but the age difference would make more sense in an uncle sort of way," Bridge explains easily. He can't really hear the heartbeat of the young one, but there is a pulsation to the aura of it, which calms him like a metronome.

"I see," Kat acquiesces in the same, easily hushed tone. There's an intangible serenity to the moment that she doesn't want to disturb. The longer she sits, though, the more something occurs to her. "Bridge...do you think I'll be a good mother?"

Bridge's head shoots upward from Kat's therapeutic touch. "What?—Kat, I thought we were just talking about how you'd make an excellent mother?"

"Sure, I love taking care of you guys, but this is different. I've never carried young before, and if it's a pup, it could get hazardous. I'm just...I guess I'm worried about taking proper care of it, because I've never experienced this before. My first husband and I tried back on Felisia but we never conceived a litter. My body feels so foreign to me, and then there's the birthing, and what if I can't take proper care of it—"

"Whoa, whoa, Kat," Bridge frowns and holds up his ungloved hand. Having built up tolerance, he doesn't get so strong an aura from her, nothing he can't handle. It is easy for him to see that she's distressed, and not entirely herself. Her normally fine, misty aura is vibrating with what he imagines is anxiety and hormones. "Kat, you'll be a great mom! You taking care of us just means that you'll have bonus practice for when your own baby comes. You're its mother, Kat, and in my opinion, it couldn't ask for a better one. You're kind, and gentle, and understanding, and moreover patient. You've never snapped at us, or lost your temper. You're always so logical and put together."

Bridge sits next to Kat now, looking at her with an uncharacteristically serious gaze. "Honestly, sometimes when I read auras, I can see the futures of their own imaginations—futures that aren't necessarily going to happen. For example, back before we were B–Squad, Sky would imagine himself as the red ranger all the time. Syd sometimes imagines herself as a pop star, and, don't tell anyone, but I've even seen the Commander's imaginings of himself as Supreme Commander."

"Really?" Kat tilts her eyebrows, finding this quite intriguing. She had no idea Bridge could read people's imaginings. Something occurs to her: "Wait, have you ever read my imaginings?"

"Yes," Bridge smiles slyly, "and I won't tell anyone about your daydreams of the Commander and you dating."

Kat blushes brightly and squeezes her eyes shut. "I didn't know you could do this."

"Well, not always. I need the right brain waves to read, so they have to come in intense concentration from a very particular region of the brain. Like I said, I don't always get them. Anyway, my point is that I've seen your imaginings of a mom, too, and they're beautiful."

"It's easy to imagine yourself a mother," Kat responds in a wistful and slightly sad voice.

"Kat, when I see you as a mother, it's natural. There's something about it that seems right. Imagining you with a little girl, or a little boy, it just makes sense. You have a natural way of taking care of your loved ones that naturally equates to you being a mom," Bridge smiles gently.

"Thank you, Bridge," Kat makes sure to say in a definite tone, conveying the depth of the moment. "So, what do my kids look like in these imaginings?"

"Well, they're your imaginings, but this particular scenario isn't usually created by your frontal consciousness, and not quite subconscious either. Anyway, the girls always look just like you, sometimes with blue eyes, though. The boys...well, they tend to look like Commander Cruger."

Kat huffs through her fangs at herself, avoiding Bridge's raised eyebrows.

"What I'm saying is that it's no stretch to imagine you as a mom, and a great one. Consider how you are with Boom and us as B–Squad, you've basically raised us for the past couple years. We don't have any parents here, so, you're kind of important in that department."

"I didn't know people thought of me like this," says Kat.

"Oh, totally; we all see you as kind of the mom, and I guess that makes the Commander the scary, blue, scaled, dog–headed dad. Weird...either way, we really see you as the mom of our family here. Syd, Sky, Boom—they have moms but you're here for them, physically. I don't have a mom besides you. Jack and Z, they don't have anyone, and you mean so much to them because of that."

Kat wipes some tear droplets from the corners of her eyes. Damn hormones: "I had no idea I meant so much to you guys."

"Well, of course, Kat. I told you, we all love you," Bridge, not usually a hugging person (for telekinetic reasons) leans over and embraces her tightly. "You're our mom."

Kat holds Bridge to her as if he were her own son, which he is, in a way. While she always knew she had good standing relationships with her individual rangers she never imagined they valued her so closely as family. "Thank you, sweetheart, this means a lot to me to hear."

"So, what are you gonna name it?" Bridge asks, vivacious again.

"Well, I'm not sure, really. Doggie and I were waiting to find out the sex and breed before making any decisions," she laughs to herself over Bridge's Bridge–ness.

"You know what a cool name is?—Bridge. You know what's a cool name for a girl?—Bridgette," he smirks with a pointed finger.

"Yes, very cool, but since I can't name it after all of you, it means it won't be named after any of you, understand?" Kat raises her brows.

"Yes, and this is what I'm talking about, with the natural mom, thing," Bridge smiles, then Kat smiles, so Bridge smiles wider. "What names did you have in mind?"

"If it's a kit, it could be either Kate, or Kyle," Kat pauses and looks at Bridge. "Names with a 'K' are just kind of the norm for Feli. My mother's name was Kate, my grandmother's: Katrina."

"That's cool," Bridge notes in earnest.

"I guess I never thought about it before." Kat shrugs.

"Aw, man, you know what's intense?" Bridge asks and Kat's ears move in reply. "When you change your name, it'll be Katherine Cruger. You'll be KC!"

Kat's visage splits into a sparkling smile. "I like the sound of Katherine Cruger."

"It's pretty legit," Bridge nods seriously with his adolescent colloquial.

"Pretty legit," Kat nods also, her and Bridge still leaning on each other.


	5. Uncle Jack

_Uncle Jack_

"Kat, here, let me," Jack insists as he takes a box from the woman.

"Jack, I can handle myself," Kat sighs fondly, but with exasperation. Part of it is from actual tiredness, part of it, from frustration. It's a small box, full of nothing but spare parts. Admittedly, Boom also tried to keep her from work, but she insisted she could handle this one task. Also admittedly, she is feeling quite fatigued, the only reason she actually let Jack take the box, rather than hissing at him.

"I know that, Kat, but I can tell you're tired," Jack corrects. When Kat looks at him with suspicion he smiles, "the Commander has been teaching us to recognize when you're tired."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Kat shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "That's a little much, I think."

"Come on, Kat, the ol' dog's just looking out for you," Jack laughs. He walks with the box alongside the taller woman, who walks the same as she always has. Her movements have an unearthly (no pun intended) grace about them, strides long and even, shoulders level. "How are you feeling, anyway?"

Kat spares him a sidelong smirk, "I'm fine, thank you, Jack. I'm a little tired, yes, but feeling... "

"Feeling?" when Jack looks at Kat again she holds her head. Quickly, he tosses the box at a passing by cadet (who actually manages to catch it) and grabs Kat before she can faint. "Geez, Kat, we gotta get you to a chair."

"Mm, fine," she mumbles in protest, even as Jack partially drags her weak knees to her lab. Her vision ceases to blur once he gets her in a chair and starts fanning her with a book. The slight breeze moves her curls ever so slightly. "Jack, what—why are you fanning me?"

"You almost fainted, Kat," Jack says worriedly, still fanning her. In a moment, he puts the booklet down and sits by her. "Are you sure you're okay? I know you want to keep working and all, but that was pretty scary."

Kat sighs and massages her temples. "It's no big deal, Jack, this isn't actually the first time this has happened."

"What?!—Kat, you cannot keep working," Jack presses his hand out firmly. "Does DC know about this?"

"No!—no, Doggie cannot know about this," Kat comes back just as urgently. "If he knew I had fainting spells he'd never let me out of his sight!"

"Is that really a bad thing, Kat?" Jack winces a bit. "We really need to be thinking about what's best for you, and the baby."

"Jack, I asked Felix, he said it was fine, and almost to be expected. It doesn't mean I can't work a little," Kat slumps in her chair, already knowing he's not convinced.

"Kat, we're all really worried about you, you know. I mean, I don't get a lot about what Felix tried to explain to us, but I know this is gonna be hard on you. Now, I don't know much about the whole family thing, but I know that a mom, with a baby, has to, y'know, rest and stuff." Jack looks at his hands sheepishly. "I don't really...I mean, I don't know much about having a mom, but I know you're gonna be a great one."

Kat finds no words, but looks at Jack tenderly. "Thank you, Jack...you know, I feel like a great mom, when I see you, and the other rangers, thriving, and doing well. You guys are my kids; you're my pride and joy."

Jack takes Kat's hand in his and looks at her with teary eyes. He finds no words but hopes his eyes can convey the depth of his feelings at the moment. Instead, he laughs lightly, "so, what else happens that DC doesn't know about?"

"Nothing," Kat says too quickly for either of them to believe it. "I mean, occasionally my knees get a little weak, but that's it."

"Kat," Jack shakes his head.

"My back is kind of sore...and my ankles are killing me...and I swear if I hear one more person tell me I shouldn't be working I'm going to actually bite their hand off." Kat finishes her rant with an arched back, shaking her hands around in frustration, claws prominent.

"Whoa, Kat, we're just worried about'cha," Jack laughs a bit. Kat makes a feasible effort to remain detached and professional; it's quite funny to see her flustered like this. "What's so bad about not working, anyway?"

"What else am I supposed to do? I mean, whenever I'm not working I'm either thinking about work or worrying about all the ways this," Kat gestures to her abdomen, "can go wrong."

"Have you talked about any of this with the big ol' dog?" asks Jack.

"No, I don't want to worry or upset him. I don't think he's much more confident about this than I am, he just doesn't want to worry me. Our genes are quite conflicting, and there's no way of knowing what troubles await this youngling," Kat sighs, instinctively reaching to her mid–section to protect it.

"Well, let me tell you, I didn't have an awesome family, like this kid will, and I turned out fine," Jack coughs, "y'know, Robin Hood–ing aside. I know what it's like to feel out of place, and different, and unwanted, and this kid is not going to experience any of that, because we won't let it. You are gonna be the perfect mom, DC's gonna be a kick–ass dad, and we are gonna be awesome uncles to it. It'll have awesome aunts too! Z can teach it to be all awesome and Syd'll spoil it rotten. This baby is gonna have an awesome family, Kat."

"It will," she agrees, rubbing the almost nonexistent swell of the baby. Then, something occurs to her. "I wish we could have helped."

"Hm?" Jack looks up, distracted by imagining that a little DC is inside Kat (weird).

"After yours and Z's parents...I wish we could have helped more. We tried to find you...to adopt you, but the paperwork your parents had already signed clearly stated that we were not to seek you out until you were at least fourteen. That's when we brought Syd, Sky and Bridge into the academy. We had every intention of finding you and Z but everywhere we went told us that you had up and vanished. The orphanages, the schools, they all told us they hadn't seen you. I was furious, I couldn't believe that they had lost two children. Doggie was the one to follow you first hand all those years. He was legally bound not to come in contact with you, but he made sure you were all right whenever I wasn't tracking you by satellite."

Jack raises his eyebrows. "Kat, that's intense. I had no idea."

"We weren't allowed to tell you. Doggie broke a lot of rules when he told you the story of how your parents all worked here," Kat smirks a little mordantly.

"Yeah, that's when he told us you're like 147 years old," Jack points, remembering the story well.

"Oh, yeah," Kat frowns a bit. "I can't believe he told you how old I am."

"Well, if you consider it, if it's, like, one year versus every seven, you're pretty young, right?" Jack scratches the back of his head, checking over his math.

"I suppose so," she muses distantly.

"Wait, you and DC were gonna adopt Z and I?" Jack looks surprised.

"We wanted to, and we looked over the paperwork extensively. Sadly, I helped write up the contract with our top lawyers, and there were absolutely no loopholes in it. There was a clear clause stating that we, as SPD, had no right to contact you until you were of legal age to join the academy of your own free will. Sky was the only one to know anything about this, and that was only because of his father. Sometimes Sky would be here on base to visit his father, but he was so young I don't think he really remembers it. You and Z were both about four when your parents died. I tried to assign you both to the same orphanage to stay together but the social system split you up." Kat shakes her head remembering it, still as angry and frustrated as the day she found out her friends' kids were basically missing.

"Wow, so you and DC were almost, like, our second parents?" Jack asks rhetorically, more in awe than sad about not remembering it all. He has developed a detachment to the whole situation over the years. "That's really freaky."

"Well, we would have claimed to be your aunt and uncle, probably," Kat chuckles a little and faces him. "As a matter of fact, I was supposed to be named Z's godmother, but the paperwork was never filed, so legally, I couldn't take her. Danny asked me when she was first born, and I would have loved to, but it was just one of those things we never really got around to... "

"That's unbelievable," Jack breathes. "Well, then, we really are family, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," Kat answers readily. "Well, if you're ready to test how good an uncle you can be, you can run and get me a tuna sandwich."

Jack laughs but stands anyway, "how does that prove how good an uncle I'll be?"

"It proves you can do as I ask," Kat laughs also, putting up her feet. "Don't worry, I'll stay right here with my feet up until you get back."

"You better," he points with a smile. He takes all of two steps out of the lab before turning around again.

"What's wrong?" Kat asks, turning, before Jack wraps his arms around her tightly.

"Thanks for being there all this time, even if we didn't know it," he whispers, holding her tightly. He doesn't call her "mom" but she's as good as any.

"Of course, Jack," Kat pats his back and gives him a kiss on the cheek. When he pulls back she brushes his cheek with her hand. "Now, go get me my sandwich."

"Yes, mom," Jack laughs in a mocking voice, though the moniker doesn't feel odd to either of them. "I'll bring some milk, too."

"Mm, thank you," Kat mumbles as she picks up her charts for the base systems. If she were more Felid, like Felix, she'd be lactose intolerant. Lucky she isn't though, considering just how much she loves milk. The more she thinks about how Jack called her mom, mocking as it was, the more she likes the title. Her hand automatically begins rubbing circles over the young one and she feels the muscles in her back loosen from their knot. "Be kind to your mother, little one. Learn from those around you and maybe you'll be a power ranger, like them. They're pretty great you know. One day I might explain it to you, when you can understand all this. You'll have the best uncles and aunts here for you, though."

"That's right!" Boom bursts in, immediately running to Kat and sliding over to her on his knees. His bright eyes focus on the undetectable pup as he gabbers on. "You're gonna have a totally awesome time with Uncle Boom, in the lab...but not without your mom's supervision."

Kat nods to the nervous looking Boom and resumes her relaxation.


	6. Wedding Day

_Wedding Day_

"Okay, this is it!" Syd bounces with absolute glee.

"Did you take something?" Z asks only somewhat jokingly, pointing to Syd.

"Oh, let me have my moment!" Syd pouts to her friend. Syd's hair it curly as always, but pinned in a ponytail. Her green bridesmaid dress falls below her knees delicately, complimented by her bouquet of two lilies and a Zenturian splifladel (which looks like a cross between a blue lotus and a purple bromilliad).

Z's hair is also in a ponytail, only slightly curled at the bottom. By Syd's insistence she is wearing minimal makeup, and even a spritz of perfume. Her own bouquet, as maid of honor, holds a turquoise Batanel, a type of flower that used to bloom on Felisia. Kat had them artificially remade in the base gardens just for this occasion, since they were her first wedding bouquet. "I can't believe Kat and DC are finally tying the not."

"I know, right?" Syd hums in agreement, doing a final check–over on her appearance. "Come on, we should check on the boys before we go get Kat."

"Right," Z nods and follows the blond.

Syd really has done an amazing job on this. True to her word, she didn't make a big fuss over things. The ceremony will take place in the base gardens, with no reception but a small celebration dinner for their little family planned by Doggie himself.

"Hey," Bridge greets, fiddling with his bow–tie; he pulls at it with his gloved hand.

"Hey, we were just coming to check on you," Syd greets. "How's the Commander?"

"Nervous," Bridge smiles a bit. "He keeps reciting his vows to himself in Sirian. It's freaking Jack out and Sky's nervous he's gonna drop the rings or something."

"I bet," Z rolls her eyes, still fiddling with her bouquet. "We're just going to check on Kat before we head down to the gardens."

"Ooh, I should come too!" Bridge raises his hand. The girls look at him in askance but he shrugs. "I can read her aura to see if she's really nervous, or freaked, or whatever. Plus, I haven't had a chance to read the baby's aura yet today!"

"All right, come on." Syd gestures with her bouquet and enters Kat's room after a swift knock. "Kat?—Bridge is with us."

"That's fine," Kat calls from inside the room.

The Felid stands in front of a mirror stretching from the ceiling to the floor. A crown of Batanels sits on her straightened chestnut locks, highlighting their glossy sheen. Smokey grey with a slight tinge of green highlights her eyelids, bringing out the unnatural green of her irises. The pink of her lips is not quite red, but more vibrant than their usually delicate shade.

The dress she wears is form fitting and strapless, illustrating the gentle swell of her bust. The skirt of it hugs her alluring hips and flows down around her long legs. It parts in the front, revealing her calves, then continues to flow down around her ankles, trailing behind her slightly in the back. It's a simple design, ivory in color, yet breathtaking.

Katherine looks absolutely radial.

"Kat, you look beautiful," Syd fans her teary eyes, actually brought to tears by the sight before her. She goes over and hugs the taller woman.

"Thank you, Sydney," Kat says in a gentle, quiet tone.

"You do look awesome," Z smirks in a less sentimental but just as sincere way. She also goes and hugs the mother–figure. "You're gonna knock DC right on his ass."

"Could you not be crass, for once?" Syd snarks with a smile.

"I am wearing a dress and makeup for you, zip it," Z points, also smiling.

"Can I look?" Bridge asks, standing timidly in the corner with his hands over his eyes.

"Yes, Bridge, you can look," Kat chuckles quietly.

Bridge takes his hands from his eyes and does a double–take at Kat. She is absolutely radiant, glowing from within and showcased perfectly by her dress. "Whoa, Kat, you look totally stunning!"

"Thanks," she smiles gently.

Bridge keeps his hand by his side he doesn't have to feel her aura to notice her subdued behavior. Her smile is tight, and her shoulders are tense. When he does focus on her aura it's jittery and looks like television static. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly," she smiles shakily and eases herself onto her bed, "nervous as hell."

"Well, that's to be expected," Syd shrugs and plops down with her. "My mom said that's how you know you really love them, and that if you aren't nervous about getting married, it's not the real thing."

"Wow," Kat laughs nervously, looking to her left.

"If it's any consolation DC's apparently nervous as hell too," Z smiles, sitting on the other side of Kat.

"I just," Kat shakes her head. "I keep getting these completely irrational thoughts."

"Like what?" Bridge frowns and kneels in front of her. He does a quick sweep of the baby's aura. It is fine, the same as yesterday, but also reflects Kat's nerves.

"Well, what if he just feels obligated?—or, what if it's too hard on him to be married again?—or, what if this was just sex but now I'm knocked up—"

"Okay, no more watching comedies with Z, it teaches you horrible things about Earth relationships," Syd shakes her head, frowning at Z. "Plus, you know that's not the case."

"I do know, but that doesn't help my nerves much," Kat shifts uncomfortably.

"Okay, Kat, first of all, DC has totally loved you, like, forever," Z waves with a hand. "Second of all, didn't he tell you he had your engagement ring for months before you even slept together? An obligated man does not spring for that kind of ringage unless he is serious. Thirdly, do you know what he told me when I asked how he felt about getting married again?"

"What?" Kat tilts her head in a very feline way.

"He said that even back before you guys...y'know—he knew he wanted to marry you. He said that he's been taking you for granted all these years and that his biggest regret is that he didn't tell you he loved you sooner. When he found out that you were having a baby he was totally thrilled, but he's scared too. He told me that he wishes he had proposed sooner, because, and I quote here, 'I know Kat is probably being paranoid, worrying herself over whether or not I truly wanted to marry her and not just because of the pup'."

Kat folds her ears down and smiles sheepishly, "yeah, that's about right. He always has been too good at knowing my thoughts."

"Yeah, and he's worried too, you know." Bridge pipes up. "I mean, he's worried that you only agreed to marry him because of the baby, and that if you weren't carrying his pup you could do much better than him."

"That's absurd!" Kat bursts in a tone that's so angry you could swear someone had verbally suggested it straight to her face. "I could be so lucky as to find anyone half as good as Doggie Cruger!"

"You see, Kat? You're not the only one with irrational fears, and insecurities, but imagine how upset he'd be if he knew you were thinking like this?" Syd takes Kat's hand and gives it a pat. "He's never liked you being down on yourself, or anyone else, for that matter. He wasn't too happy when he told him how Commander Birdie treated you in his absence."

"Ooh, he was so pissed," Z winces remembering the outburst they received at telling him.

"Oh, my—it's almost time!" Syd shoots of the bed like a bullet from a barrel, Z and Kat's hands in hers. "Bridge, come on!"

"I'm coming!" Bridge calls after them, carrying Kat's bouquet.

"Bridge, you go to the Commander and the boys and make sure they're ready," Syd orders, taking Kat's bouquet from him. "We'll be right behind you."

"Okay!" Bridge dashes on ahead, running a lot like Kermit the Frog.

"Okay, this is it," Syd whispers it this time, straightening Kat's her over her shoulders. In a final moment she takes in Kat's ethereal beauty and sighs, "you really do look amazing, Kat."

"Thank you, Sydney, for everything," Kat hugs the shorter blond and kisses her blond curls. She does the same with Z, teary eyed. "I love you girls."

"We love you too, Kat," Z says in a shaky voice.

"This is why they invented waterproof mascara," Syd blubbers, fanning her eyes.

"Okay, no time for this, let's go," Kat smiles. Syd and Z walk ahead of her.

When Syd pokes her head into the gardens she sees her impromptu platform and sees the boys, standing anxiously. She checks her watch and, right on time, RIC begins playing an orchestral score. She sees Bridge and nods.

"Okay, we're ready, sir," Bridge nods and bounces on the balls of his feet. His hands are clasped in front of him and he smiles in glee.

"Good luck, sir," Jack nods next to him, hands, also clasped.

"Congratulations," Sky adds.

"Thank you, for all of this," Doggie nods to them.

"We have no question, sir, that of any two people meant to be married," Jack smiles through the sentimentality, "it'd be you two."

"Yeah, it was pretty meant to be," Bridge nods in concurrence.

"We also know there's no pair better suited for each other," Sky cracks a smile.

"You all sound like a bunch of pansies!" Silverback hoots in his perpetually militant voice.

"Why are you doing this, again?" Doggie turns his old, gruffly spoken friend.

"That li'l lady in the pink called me," says Silverback.

"Her name is Syd, sir," Sky puts in but is more or less ignored.

"Apparently Earth officiants are nitpicky and it was just easier for me to do this. Besides, I didn't think I'd ever see you ask that little Miss Manx out!—let alone to marry you!"

Doggie can only sigh as his eccentric comrade slaps him on the back with unnecessary force. He lets out a small chuckle, "thanks, I suppose."

"Well, y'know, every old, blue dog has its day, I guess this is yours," Silverback laughs.

"Funny," Doggie grumbles a bit.

Syd and Z begin their entrance, Z behind Syd, walking evenly. They smile brightly. Syd takes her place on the steps below Bridge, Z, adjacent to Sky. Next, RIC starts up the bridal march and all eyes go to the double doors. Boom steps out first, a recognizable hand on his arm.

Kat is a vision of beauty in all her grace and majesty. Her steps are clam but with a slight bounce to them. The sun filters through the reinforced glass ceiling of the gardens, hitting her like a halo. Even through that, she glows radially. Her pearly fangs show in her inability to stop smiling. The closer she gets, the more everyone's hearts swell.

Doggie's breath is swept out of him at the sight of his beautiful bride. He can't believe how beautiful this woman looks, unconvinced she's a Felid and not an angel. The grace with which she moves is uncanny and unmatched. Happiness floods through him like the blood in his veins. She arrives by his side, handed off by Boom.

"Take care of her," is all the emotional young man can manage to say. He smiles tearily at Kat, but when he looks at Doggie his eyes are firm, "or else."

"I will," Doggie nods in serious respect to the lad. He takes Kat from him gently and nods. When Boom takes his seat by Sophie (who came back just for this event), Felix and RIC, Doggie turns to Kat. She beams at him and he beams back. "Katherine, you look...perfect."

"Thank you," she blushes and smiles shyly.

"All right, let's get this show on the road!" Silverback pounds his chest.

Everyone's eyes widen at his outbrust but their smiles don't fade any, "yes, sir."

"We are gathered here today to see this great, blue mutt marry this lovely, young genius!"

Kat smiles sheepishly and tries not to laugh while Doggie grumbles beside her.

"I do believe there is no couple better suited than these two. I have known the both of them for many years and not once have I questioned how good they are together. Young Miss Katherine offers a balance to the old dog that I've never seen anyone achieve. Cruger, you dog, you, I can't believe you didn't do this sooner!—I could have told you forty years ago that you were in love with her and saved us all a lot of time and trouble!"

Doggie tries not to roll his eyes at his friend, though he wouldn't have him any other way.

"Now, does anyone think they shouldn't be married?" Silverback scans the area. No one looks to dare to object. Aside from a few weepy eyes, everyone seems pleased. "I didn't think so! You two, you have vows to say!"

Doggie turns to Kat and holds her hands in his paws. "Katherine, words are not nearly enough to suffice to describe how I love you. In the years I have known you I have grown to admire you strength, envy your tenacity, love your amicability, and even begrudge just how distracting your beauty can be. However, this is nothing compared to how much your simple essence of being inspires a love and peace within me never felt before. You are my best friend, and my love, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life assuring you of my love for you."

Kat lets Doggie wipe away her tears and steels her resolve. "Anubis Doggie Cruger, you are one stubborn old dog, and I love you so much for it. We have been friends for decades and without you, I can't say if I'd really be the same person. You have taught me so much in our years about honor, and courage and integrity. My love for you goes so deep that I know quite certainly that I simply cannot live without you, by my side, for the rest of my life."

"Yes, yes, very touching," Silverback smiles as gently as he possibly can. "Without further ado, then—Anubis Doggie Cruger, you take this woman, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, blah, blah, blah?"

"I do," Doggie slides the orangutan a smirk before smiling gently at Kat again.

"Katherine Manx, you take this dog, have and hold, all that jazz?"

"I do," she smiles uncontrollably.

"Then, I now pronounce you husband and wife, now kiss your woman, Cruger!"

Doggie doesn't hesitate in taking Kat into his arms and giving her kiss, gentle in approach but filled with passion. She returns it, and in a moment, they separate; "I love you, Katherine."


	7. Checkup Two

_Checkup Two_

"Good morning," Felix greets the newlyweds happily. "How are we feeling today?"

"Tired, but good," Kat smiles and sits herself on the bed, with Doggie's assistance.

"I imagine," Felix turns to them with a suddenly nervous smile. "I hate to ask, but I need to know, if, um, last night's..._activities_..."

"Oh!—um," Kat turns pink at the question and looks to Doggie for help in the embarrassing topic, "what do you need to know, that is?"

"I don't think anything, well, harmed the pup," Doggie answers, no more comfortable.

"That's all I needed to know," Felix holds up his hands in surrender. "We need never speak of this again!"

"Oh, thank goodness," Kat sighs. She lies back as the bioscanner turns on. "How is the young one looking, Felix?"

"Actually," Felix beings, and leaves the statement hanging. He zooms in on the image and toys with it on his fiberop monitor.

"Felix, what?" Kat asks urgently, now worried for her youngling.

"Good news," Felix assures them before toying with the image a bit more. He pulls up the image and centers it; he turns the monitor towards them and smiles. "Congratulations, Missus Cruger, you're having a healthy male pup."

"Doggie," Kat flails her hand until it's enveloped by Doggie's paw for support. Her eyes remain on the image of her pup – her son – shown on Felix's screen. He's so small, but distinguishably a Sirian. He has no muzzle but the shape of his ears is exactly like Doggie's. "We're having a son."

"We're having a son," he repeats in stunned affirmation.

Kat's eyes water at the sight. Her heart bursts with happiness and she couldn't care less about her fatigue now that she can see her boy. She's having a boy; this is big news! "Felix, will you call the kids, please?"

"The kids?" Felix frowns a bit in confusion.

"B–Squad," Cruger corrects, somewhat aware of Felix's question.

"Oh, yes," Felix nods and pages them to his infirmary. "Well, now that we know it's a pup we can begin—"

"No, no, sh," Kat mutes Felix by placing a clumsy hand on his muzzle, gaze still glued to the sight of her son. "Let me enjoy this, Felix."

Felix lowers his ears and fades into the background as best he can. He wants to give the couple their moment. This is quite a discovery after all. In retrospect, Felix can't believe that no less than a year ago he was the new doctor on base and entirely infatuated with Kat (not that he dared show it, for fear of the Commander). Now, he's examining her child and couldn't be happier for her as her friend.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jack asks in a panic.

"Nothing's wrong," Cruger assures them. "Come in, please."

The Cadets file in quietly, looking at Kat, who remains in silent awe. Bridge goes to Kat and waves his hand. "What's going on that we were paged? They're fine."

"They are fine; Kat," Doggie smiles at his Cadets, "and our son."

"Y–your," Syd stutters before looking closely at the image. "Oh, my—you're having a boy!"

"We're having a boy," Kat whispers in absolute joy. She feels her kids gather around her for a hug. "He's going to be a healthy pup, Felix says."

"So, he's gonna look like DC?" Z asks cautiously.

"Why is that so alarming?" Doggie frowns before Z smiles, assuring him it's a joke.

"Actually, he won't have Doggie's muzzle, but whereas I have speckles he will probably scales in their place. His ears are shaped like Doggie's but they'll look more like mine." Kat is still unable to look away from the image of her baby boy. "He's really our boy...he's really ours."

"Yes, he is," Doggie nuzzles his wife lovingly, giving her cheek a lick, at which she purrs.

"You guys are sickeningly cute," Jack mutters flatly.

"Oh, lighten up, tough guy," Syd nudges him and looks at the image. "Wow, he developed fast. He's, what, a couple weeks old?"

"He will only need a couple more weeks still," says Felix. "Kat will be due August 21st."

"It's a good thing you're not having a girl—Syd would have already bought a tiara studded with its birth stones," Sky laughs a bit and receives an elbow in the ribs for it.

"I was just saying, now that we know it's a pup, we'll be going with gentle labor. Kat shouldn't leave base over the next four weeks. During the last week of gestation, she'll grow to a size comparable to the size a human female would be during month four of pregnancy." Felix is careful to leave some more explicit technicalities out, considering how last time Jack nearly vomited at the word "embryotic".

"Okay, okay, now, for the important part," Syd turns to Kat seriously: "names."

"Syd," Kat laughs a little but sees the blond girl is immovable.

"Seriously, Kat, we need to start getting ready for the arrival of little..." Syd rolls her hands in motion for Kat to continue.

"Doggie, what do you think?" Kat turns to her husband and mate.

"I honestly couldn't think of anything that really stuck," he shrugs. "What do you think?"

"Well, I did think of a few," Kat muses, "but one seemed appropriate."

"What is it?" Z prompts.

"Argos," Kat lets it roll of her tongue with a lightness, yet the name itself carries a profound weight to it. "Argos was a faithful dog of ancient Greek legend. I was thinking Anubis, but Sirian tradition dictates that a pup will not be named after a family member who is still alive."

"Argos," Bridge tries out on his tongue, "that is seriously cool."

"Yeah, it's intense," Jack nods in agreement.

"That is perfect! Little Argos Cruger," Syd purses her lips cutely.

"Argos Cruger," Kat and Doggie both move their ears in contemplation, smiling. Kat looks at Doggie, "it's perfect."

"It is," he nuzzles her.

"Wow, there's gonna be a mini–Cruger runnin' around," Jack muses.

"I know," Z nods.

"Hm," Sky agrees.

"Yeah," Syd sighs.

"I'm hungry."

Everyone looks at Bridge flatly.

"He's moving," Felix speaks up.

True enough, the image on the screen shifts, and Kat jumps a bit to prove its occurrence.

"Argos Cruger," everyone sighs as they watch the little one move towards their voices.


	8. Aunty Syd

_Aunty Syd_

"Kat," Syd calls as she enters the lab. "Kat, are you here?"

Kat jumps awake in her chair and faces Syd drearily. "Hm, Syd, sorry, I dozed off."

"How are you feeling?" Syd asks, brows tilted up in sympathy.

"Pretty good," Kat rubs at her eyes. "I'm pretty tired."

"Should you be working? We're into the part where Felix said you shouldn't be up and around a lot." Syd drifts over to Kat and pulls up a stool next to hers.

"Well, I've mostly been coding the stuff on which Boom and Bridge don't have clearance," Kat sighs. "What are you up to, Syd?"

"Honestly, the Commander has us in shifts to check on you ever hour and a half." Syd chuckles a little at Kat's displeasure. "He's afraid you're going to go into early labor with no one around."

"I coughed on a peanut the other day and I think he had a heart attack," Kat shakes her head, though her smile only holds the strongest affection. "I had no idea he'd be such a worry wart in this. He's been really calm so far but now that we're getting down to the wire he's starting to get jumpy. I took a bath the other day and he thought I'd fallen asleep and was going to drown within the first ten minutes."

"Aw, come on, that's sweet," Syd smiles.

"Of course it is, I just wish he wouldn't worry himself in circles," Kat brushes some hair aside; "oh!"

"What?" Syd also jumps a little.

"Here," Kat takes Syd hand slowly and gingerly and places it over the slight bulge of her torso. Little Argos kicks against the contact, "goodness, you've got Doggie's temperament."

"That's amazing," Syd says in awe. The slight feeling of the pup moving is completely indescribable to Syd. She's never felt it first hand before. "This is so cool!"

"Have you ever felt a baby moving before?" asks Kat.

"No," Syd shakes her head. In a moment, she smiles, "I'm really looking forward to spoiling this little guy."

"Oh, Sydney," Kat shakes her head. "He has you plus the others, trust me, he'll be plenty spoiled."

"Oh, but it's so cool!" Syd bounces a little before becoming serious again. "You and Commander Cruger, you're...you're like the fairytale we were told couldn't come true."

"What do you mean?" Kat frowns.

"I've seen you two as coworkers, friends, and now as a couple, but at the center of all of that is a love so much deeper. I know you both and the love I see you share is something I can't even imagine properly. You just can't live without each other, and no matter how many times you get cranky with each other, or insisted you were just friends, we all know. We've seen you through things and being apart and nothing seems a worse fate. You cannot exist without each other. It's really inspiring, actually. It's the kind of love we could all aspire to find, rather than chasing the brief attention high young relationships offer. I think we should all look for our perfect match, who balances us and accepts us for our faults and maybe even loves them with us."

Kat stares at her pink princess with tender admiration. "That's very admirable, Sydney. It's good to have that frame of mine in the long run; I'm impressed with how mature you've become. You guys aren't my kids anymore."

"Sure we are," Syd chirps. "Just the other day you told Jack and Sky they were grounded for playing light ball indoors again."

"I don't really have the authority to ground them," Kat whispers in correction.

"Either way, you're the mom part of this mothership," Syd bobs her head back and forth at the analogy. "Which makes DC the super scary dad no one wants to piss off."

"That's always been true." Kat nods in agreement. "By the way, you're not planning a baby shower, are you?—'cause that would just be you, Z and I."

"Well, no, I didn't plan a baby shower, but," Syd ignores Kat's look of trepidation and continues: "I did find out from Doctor Felix that there's a Felid thing to be done."

"Oh, Syd, you don't have to," Kat shakes her head but is ignored again.

"Nope, I'm doin' it!" Syd declares with a finger raised. "He told me it's a big thing on Felisia, we bring you snacks and flowers and there's this water submersion thing—"

"Which is a family event because it's supposed to be done naked," Kat interjects.

Syd pauses, "okay, we can do it in the hot springs in bikinis." When Kat scrunches her nose but nods anyway Syd presses on. "Everything's totally organic and about fertility and stuff and we get to wear pretty dresses!"

Kat sighs in resignation, since Syd seems pretty dead set on doing this, which, by the way, is called a Felisian Longevity Ceremony. It's as much for the mother as it is for the younglings. "You'll have to make some adjustments. I'm not having a litter, and they tend to be two to one in terms of females to males. Plus, Sirians have a different ceremony for pups."

"Op!—I thought of that too! I asked the Commander and he said that Sirians have a day of blessing for the pup in which the mother is seated in a circle of longevity while she's showered with petals from some Sirian fertility flower."

"Or, we could just sit in the gazebo in the gardens," Kat suggests.

Syd acquiesces, "fine, but we still bring you gifts."

"Nothing bought, though, ha!" Kat tops with a victorious point.

"Fine, we'll bring you muffins," Syd sighs.

"I like blueberry," Kat smiles immediately as a counter.

Syd raises an eyebrow at her older friend and a kind of surrogate mother figure on base. "I never thought I would have this kind of discussion with you."

"Me neither," Kat instinctively rubs her baby bump. "If you really insist on the ceremony, I won't stop you. Why would you, though, if it's more a Felisian thing?"

"You're having a baby, Kat, there are things that simply are done when this happens. Besides, it's the closest we're going to have to a little sibling/nephew." Syd places her hand on Kat's bulge again and feels a little kick. "Aw, he recognizes his Aunty Syd, yes he does!—yes, he does!"

Kat sits back and lets Syd baby–talk all she wants. It's funny to see little Sydney Drew baby talking. Her maternal instinct makes her reach out to the girl. "Do you think you'll have a family one day, sweetie?"

Syd smiles at Kat's gentle hand on her cheek. "Maybe, someday. A little girl, I think."

"I always thought I'd have a girl," Kat laughs ironically. "If only my mother were here so she could tell me she told me so. She always said I'd have a boy."

"Must be funny to see your kids doing the whole baby thing," Syd hums distantly.

"Yes, I imagine it is," Kat says softly, with significance in the tone as she continues to stroke Syd's hair. She can't believe her kids are going to help her with her own son.


	9. Uncle Sky

_Uncle Sky_

"Kat?" Sky raises an eyebrow at her as she sneaks into his and Bridge's room.

"Sky, I need your help with something," she whispers.

"What's wrong?" Sky is immediately on his feet and inspecting Kat and the bulge of her belly. "Is the baby okay? Are you all right?"

"Listen to me, Sky," Kat waves her hand madly. "I need your help with something about which Doggie can't know, all right?"

Sky comes to his feet again, looking even more suspicious than before. "What is it?"

Kat leans in, "I've needed some help...relaxing...as of late, so I've turned to some...medicinal help. Doggie can't know about it, though—I'd never live it down."

Sky becomes more and more confused as she goes on, "Kat, you don't mean...?"

"Catnip," she admits with embarrassment. "It's not often, but every once in a while, I have real trouble getting to sleep or with stress, so I usually get a little bit of catnip and just..._chill_ in my office for a few hours. It's really embarrassing, and I'd die if Doggie found out."

Sky smiles at Kat with amusement dancing in his eyes. She looks so distressed, though, that he refrains from laughing at the humor in the situation. "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Well, I'll go with you, but I won't be going into the store myself, that's why I'm bringing you. Plus, if Doggie finds out I went into town by myself he'd be there to carry me back before I could blink." Kat blows her bangs from her eyes. His super speed is impressive, and handy in combat. Sometimes, though, it works against her, like when he zooms to her side before she can protest that she just needed him to reach a plate on the top shelf.

"Okay, let's go," Sky nods and replaces his academy jacket with a regular blue sweater.

"Thank you, Sky," she smiles brightly at him.

"Hey, Sky—Kat?" Bridge blinks.

"Bridge, Sky's going to help me...lift...something..." Kat coughs conspicuously.

Bridge looks closely at her, "this is about your catnip, isn't it?"

"You know nothing, you saw nothing, you heard nothing," she points at him firmly. When he looks about to laugh she widens her eyes and forces her ears a little more forward, "Bridge."

"Yes, Kat," Bridge sighs and goes into the room.

"Okay, let's go," Kat takes Sky's arm and leads him out quickly. "I've been so wound up lately I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"Let me guess, you didn't tell Commander Cruger?" Sky frowns.

"Right," she quirks her head to and fro. "He does know I've been a little tense lately, and he's done all he can, but... "

"How often do you indulge this little...habit?" Sky chuckles a little.

"Not often!—just when I really need the help!" her voice raises in octave in her defense.

"All right," Sky nods and then looks up, considering something. "So, why me?"

"Why you, what?" Kat frowns.

"Why did you pick me to come with you? I'd think you would be more comfortable with Syd or Z, or, I dunno," Sky shrugs.

Kat considers this and speaks with intent: "I trust you, Sky. I trust all of you, but I knew I could count on you in the deepest terms, and not just keeping the secret, or agreeing to it without much teasing. I know that I can trust you for whatever I need, without question, loyalty beyond expectation and chivalry matching the very best. I know I can count on you, Sky. I've always been able to count on you."

Sky turns serious as well, but with a tenderness that separates it from his usual stoniness. "I'm glad you trust me like this, Kat, thank you. I'll always be here for whatever you need."

"Do you remember the first time I took you into the field?" Kat asks wistfully.

"How could I forget? I was absolutely bumbling, and you had to save my hide," he admits with a smile, only able to set aside his pride because of the time separating him from the incident.

"It wasn't so bad, and you really stepped up. I might have stepped in to save you, but when that bomb went off you didn't hesitate to get in front of me with a forcefield," Kat pats his arm gently. "Even after only a year at the academy you stepped right in to protect me. That's when Doggie and I knew you would be one of the best."

"I'd never hesitate to protect you," he lays his hand on hers and collects himself. "I lost my dad, and my mom was never really the same afterwards. I never told anyone this, but when I try to remember how my family was...I can't. When I try to remember my mom...I remember you. I remember when I was really little and I would run all over base and my father would chase me. You were there, and you would always catch just before I got myself into trouble."

"Your father loved you with all his heart, Sky, and I know how much he meant to you," Kat speaks softly. "He was a great man, just as you have grown to be. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Sky sniffs and tries not to cry, particularly as they come into the mall area. Instead he takes Kat's hand in his and gives it a soft kiss. "Thank you, Kat, I'm...honored that you think of me that way."

Kat smiles sweetly at him. "I could hope that my son turns out as sweet as you. You, Bridge, Jack—you're like my sons already. You'll be good role models to have as Argos grows up. I can't wait to see you all mentoring him."

"I can't wait either," Sky smiles widely. "Do you think he'll be a ranger?"

"I know it," Kat chuckles, "with his family, his father, our track record."

"A little Shadow," Sky chuckles as well.

"Actually," Kat begins and Sky looks intrigued, "I have plans for a Legacy morpher."

"Legacy Ranger, really?" Sky asks with the enthusiasm of a child.

"Don't tell anyone, I couldn't even design it until Argos would be of age. I had the idea from a dream, though, and I made the schematics as soon as I woke up." Kat shakes her head.

"That'll be amazing," says Sky.

"Here we are," Kat lets go of Sky's arm, "are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I am happy to do this for you, Kat," he assures her before going in. It doesn't take him long to find the good stuff and come back out. Although, when he comes back out, he sees a man in a long black coat talking to Kat. His instincts tell him it's not good as he approaches. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Nothin', kid," the man waves him off, turning back to Kat, "come on, Dollface, one coffee."

"What part of married don't you understand?" she asks patiently, waving her ring at him. "I am happily married and pregnant!"

"Listen," the man raises a hand but before he knows it the boy is standing in front of her and his hand has hit some kind of invisible barrier. Holding his hand in shock he sees the air wavering blue. "What the hell?"

"It's time for you to go," Sky mutters defensively.

"Who are you—her little boy toy?" the man snickers.

"She's my mother, now be on your way," Sky reveals his SPD belt badge and nods, "go!"

"Sorry, officer," the man chuckles nervously, "ma'am."

"Thanks, Sky, but I could have managed him," she smirks.

"Not taking that chance," he mutters, still on edge. He turns to her, face dark and eyes protective. "You're all right?"

"Of course," she nods and stands. "You got the, uh, stuff?"

Sky smiles now and waves a packet of catnip in the air, "right here."

"Thanks," she says in a hurry, taking it from him and slipping it into the pocket of her dress. She curses that her instincts make her love it so much, but she really needs this. "I've tried everything to relax, and nothing's doing it. Not even, well, yeah; never mind."

"Come on, let's get you back home," Sky nods and offers his arm automatically.

"If I'm gone much longer Doggie might notice," Kat sighs but smiles.

"You love it," Sky smirks.

"Yes, but he worries about me far too much."

"How does a man worry about his pregnant wife _too_ much?" he asks, amused. Kat is a little right in the inordinate amount of worry displayed by the Commander. The other day Sky found him sitting in the Command Center as Kat napped, on guard. It was a little funny, thinking how good a guard dog he was. Anyone who got too close to Kat would be growled at.

"Never you mind," she sighs scoldingly. She's entirely aware of how Doggie's doting on her is obvious, especially to their kids. They seem to find it hilarious that he has nary let her out of his sight. "It is sweet, really."

"He only worries because he loves you so much," Sky offers in defense. "Even back in the day, he'd monitor you if you went anywhere."

"Really?" she asks.

"After the incident with Benaag he wasn't willing to risk anything happening to you. Sometimes he'd ask us to check on you for him, just for the sake of it," Sky smiles.

"Sentimental, old dog," Kat sighs lovingly. When they arrive back at base she notices something different. "Was someone scheduled to visit today?"

"No, I don't think so," Sky frowns. Kat trots ahead and takes on her usually long, professional stride. He follows behind.

"I can't get Doggie on his morpher," Kat frowns deeply.

"Nothing was scheduled?" Sky asks and receives a negative head shake.

"Kat!"

Kat turns and finds Doggie trotting towards her. "Doggie, what's happening?"

"Nothing really," he evades, attempting to guide her in the opposite direction. "How are you feeling? Shouldn't you be relaxing?"

"Yeah, but what's going on?" she frowns as he shakes his head, "Doggie?"

"It's nothing, Kat," he tries to assure her but his panic betrays him.

"Anubis Doggie Cruger, you tell me what is happening," she demands in a hushed tone.

"Well," he begins carefully, "dear, it's... "

"Doctor Manx," a dreadfully familiar voice greets.

"Birdie?" Kat pales at the sight of him.

"Good thing we picked up that stuff," Sky mutters.

Kat faints.


	10. Surprise

_Surprise_

"Birdie, you've incapacitated my wife!"

"It wasn't me, she had a fainting spell!"

"This is not normal!"

"Stop whining, Cruger, she'll be fine."

"She's a Cruger now, too, you know."

"Oh, you've tied the knot, too, congratulations."

Kat drifts into consciousness to the voice of her husband arguing with Fowler Birdie. Every squawk makes her wince. This alerts her beloved to her waking and she soon feels his warm tongue on her cheek, urging her to rise. She purrs into him and the deep rumbling of his voice comforts her, "Doggie."

"Kat, thank goodness, you're all right," Doggie speaks against her palm before licking the back of it. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry, Love," she whispers at him with a sweet smile. She glances around, seeing an uncomfortable Birdie and her worried rangers. "What happened exactly?"

"You saw Supreme Commander Birdie and fainted," Syd begins.

"Sky caught you, but you were out cold," Z shifts beside Birdie, "ma'am."

"It was really freaky," Bridge ads in worry.

"I told you this would happen," Jack is also worried.

"Kat, are you sure you're okay?" Sky asks seated by her side opposite Doggie.

"I'm okay, I promise," she looks each of her kids in the eye as she says it.

"That's good to hear, Miss Manx," says Birdie.

"It's Missus Cruger, now, Fowler," she smirks at him with a new found daring.

He seems taken aback by this, but smiles just a little. "Ah, well, then, congratulations, _Missus Cruger_."

"Thank you," she sighs offhandedly. "What brings you here, anyway?"

"Well, I wanted to offer you my congratulations in person. The news of your carrying child came to me and I wished to extend the sentiment face to face," he nods, though he receives mixed looks. "Is this really so hard to believe?"

"Given our history, yes," Kat raises her eyebrows at him shamelessly.

"Well, I apologize, and I wish to rectify any negative air between us," Birdie offers awkwardly, gesturing between himself, Kat and Cruger.

"What brought this on?" Kat continues to go on her suspicion, now rubbing her bulge.

"Honestly, I've come to the conclusion that I will be retiring soon, and I must find a replacement," now Birdie smirks at the gasps he hears. "I would be quite pleased if Anubis would consider taking over my position."

"Y–You want Doggie to be Supreme Commander?" Kat stutters a little.

"I do indeed, Missus Cruger," he nods.

Doggie looks at Kat and the two seem to share the same rapid–fire thoughts. "This is a great honor, sir, but we are quite happy here."

"A relocation might not be entirely necessary, actually," says Birdie. "It would be entirely possible for you to take the position here, on Earth base. Supreme Command can be stationed here with Galctic Command being converted thusly under the command of Sergeant Silverback."

Kat looks at Doggie and shares her thoughts through her eyes. This is quite an offer, and, given the accommodations offered, too good to pass up. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"No catch, no downside, Missus Cruger," Birdie waves his hands in surrender. "Of course, you personally would have some things to consider."

"What do I have to consider besides maternity leave?" she frowns.

"Well, as Doggie's Lieutenant Commander in honorary, you would be promoted with him. It's your choice whether or not you want to reclaim your active rank and join him in position as High Commander, or remain as a lab manager with the promotion of Laboratory Commanding Technician. That rank would be similar to the position you took up under me for that brief time." Birdie shows a small amount of fondness in this moment, "but you seemed quite miserable in that particular position, without your lab, or your rangers, or your Doggie."

Doggie growls at Birdie's joke, "very funny."

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he shrugs in surprising lightness. "So, what do you say? Your wife may take all the time she needs, but I need an answer from you, Anubis."

Doggie looks at Kat, who tells him with her eyes and a squeeze of her hand: "I accept."

The rangers cheer around them and Doggie smiles. Birdie smiles back and the two shake hands firmly. "I'm glad you've taken me up on my offer, Anubis, I think you will make a fine Supreme Commander."

"Thank you, Fowler," he smiles.

"Katherine, you may take as much time as you need to consider, but eventually, you will need to take up a higher rank in work." When she begins to protest he holds up a hand, "don't worry about it now."

"Well, Birdie, this is a very nice surprise," Kat smiles.

"I also, uh," Birdie pulls out a small, plush pelican. "I know you call me an overstuffed pelican all the time, so I thought we all might get some enjoyment out of this."

"Aw," Kat purses her lips helplessly at the adorably soft creature. Birdie hands it to her and she immediately cuddles it happily, purring into it. "It's perfect!"

"That was nice, Fowler," Doggie looks at the Avian man, "are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"Don't push it, Cruger," Birdie points. They both chuckle a little bit and sigh.

"This was nice," Doggie speaks again, "and I thank you for the promotion, sir."

"No sir," Birdie shakes his head. "I'm retired, my friend."

Cruger nods his head, accepting the title of "friend" in stride, "yes, I see."

"Doggie look at this little thing," Kat says in a light, high pitched voice. "It kind of looks like him, doesn't it?"

Birdie's feathers seem ruffled at the statement though Cruger only laughs heartily. "By goodness, it does, doesn't it?"

"Oh, my gosh, it so does," Syd breathes in wonder. "It's, like, freakishly like him."

"Yeah," Bridge agrees, visibly looking between the toy and its gifter.

"They kind of have the same face," Jack notes with a dreamy voice.

"They do," Sky agrees, also looking at the stuffed animal.

"It does not look like me!" Birdie tries to protest, feathers on end.

"Yes, yes it does," Kat giggles a little, holding it close.

Birdie looks around and caves, giving into the moment, "okay, maybe a little."

"We'll name him Birdie!" Kat declares and holds up the toy like the baby lion king.


	11. Cats and Cradles

_Cats and Cradles_

"Kat?" Doggie feels the shift in the bed. He immediately recognizes his wife waking.

"I'm okay, Doggie," she assures him softly, rubbing her bump.

"What's on your mind?" he asks quietly. They are more or less alone at this hour, the dark surrounding them, save the lamp on her side table. He can't decide if the moonlight shining through the window makes things warmer or colder.

"Cradles," she blurts quickly. "Kits sleep with their mothers for two months but pups sleep in cradles, so I'm not sure... "

"He can sleep with us then go to the cradle," Doggie smiles, "and what's really going on?"

"I don't know," she sighs. "The closer we get the more real it becomes."

"That is true." He leans his snout in and nuzzles her gently, to which she purrs. Sirians nuzzle their mates in affection, and he finds nuzzling Kat's soft, velvety skin comforting. He hasn't confided in her that he's nervous about fatherhood. "Are you nervous?"

"Honestly, a little bit," she smiles sheepishly at him. A small shrug of her shoulders accompanies her slow, meaningful blink. "I mean, I know this is supposed to feel natural or whatever, but...I'm scared."

"Me too," Doggie admits, taking her hand. "There's nothing wrong with being scared over this. To be honest, I'm terrified."

"Really?" she sighed, looking at his and smiling.

"I've never really considered being a father. Honestly, it never occurred as something that could really happen to me...let alone with you." He smiles as she seems befuddled.

"What do you mean?" she asks with her ears lowered and head tilted. She then frowns, "did you have someone else in mind to have your half–breed pups?"

"Of course not," he chuckles and attempts to lick away her jealousy. "I mean, I never imagined the you would take me, or that I would be lucky enough to have you bear my pups."

"I'm still not getting what you mean—it's been a long day," Kat shakes her head.

"Kat, for a long time I have been in love with you. Looking back, maybe I always was, but didn't have the courage to confront it. Maybe it was after Benaag took you and I realized that if I lost you...I don't know who I would be. I tried to deny my own feelings but the longer I suppressed them the stronger they became. I noticed everything about you. There were times I wouldn't even know what you had asked me because I was too lost in your beauty. Perhaps that's when I first started to give into it. After Omni fell and I knew Isinia...was at peace—I knew I had to tell you. So, I gathered up my courage and told you that I was entirely in love with you."

"One of the best moments of my life," she purrs.

"Then I kissed you," Doggie demonstrates by kissing her hand and then up her arm. "You kissed me back, and I believe you took the opportunity to push everything off my desk and—"

"Mm, I think I remember that well enough," Kat clears her throat in a fluster. It makes her neck hot to remember just how fervently she cleared his desk, threw them both on top of it and proceeded to..._well_... Then, as the romantic he is, Doggie insisted they mate properly in a bed...a couple more times. "You're one outspoken dog, Anubis."

"A man has the right to verbally lavish his _mate_," he grumbles into her ear, which raises and twitches with the action. He lets his tongue glide along the outer ridge and she shudders.

"Pardon me," Felix raises a single brow sassily.

Kat turns a vivid red in the face and sheepishly continues to cradle her belly, Birdie the Pelican sitting in the crook of her elbow. "What's up, Felix?"

"Just checking on you," he smirks. He knows full well that while Feli tendencies are not really of the affectionate variety, Sirians are usually all but glued to their proper mate. It's quite funny for him, at this point. At first it was uncomfortable, but now he almost hopes to catch them cuddling because it flusters his sister–of–science greatly.

"Do you know why Kat fainted?" Doggie asks worriedly.

"Well, it's not that rare for pregnant females to get fainting spells, Doggie," Felix speaks carefully, knowing full well that Kat never told him about her other fainting spells. "Either way, I think it really was just the appearance of Birdie. The surprise just shocked her system, I guess."

"So, everything's fine?" Doggie frowns at Kat then Felix.

"Yes, Doggie, Kat's fine," Felix begins typing and charting; "oh, pretend I'm not here. Go on and finish whatever it was you thought you were going to start in my infirmary."

"Shut up," Kat pouts and points her ears at him accusingly.

"I didn't say anything," Felix shrugs. "How are you feeling collectively?"

"Fine," they answer in perfect sync, "a little nervous."

"That's to be expected; we're getting pretty close to zero–hour," says Felix. He rolls his stool over to them and feels Kat's bump. "Argos is feeling good and responsive."

"Oh, yes, he loves to kick at me for any old excuse," Kat sighs. "He's his daddy's boy, all right; the other day he kicked me to the right just as a cadet was losing control of a supplies cart."

"That's my boy," Doggie says to the bump immediately, cradling it. "Already a little warrior, protecting his mother."

"He'll be a momma's boy, just watch," Kat sighs and combs her fingers through the Doggie's mane of fur.

"Kat?" Felix leans in, sniffing around. Doggie growls at him lightly but Felix smirks, "have you been catnipping?"

"What?" Doggie looks at his wife, who shows signs of guilt. "Kat, you partake in catnip?"

"On occasion, when I'm really too stressed," she mumbles. "Does it matter?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Doggie asks gently.

"A cat's gotta have her secrets, Doggie," Kat smiles and batts her eyelashes.

"Does catnip really work?" he asks Felix.

"Like you wouldn't believe," the doctor admits with a chuckle. "There's really no better way to relax a cat. Sprinkle some into her food, let her roll around in it on the floor, it's gold."

"Really?" Dogge seems to consider this and its many aspects.

"Really," Kat nods. "That's actually why I was at the pet store with Sky."

"You go to the pet store to get it? You know I could prescribe it here?" says Kat.

"I didn't want anyone knowing about my habit," she sighs. "I'm not too proud of it."

"There are worse habits to have," Felix laughs. "Have you ever chased around a ball of yarn, or a ball with a bell inside of it?"

"Only after I've had the catnip," she blushes a bit.

"Why have I never seen this? How long has this been going on?" Doggie shakes his head.

"Not long, and I wanted it kept a secret. Back before we had the rangers I didn't need it too often. Usually I go to my office and roll around in it, play with anything and everything, then fall asleep." Kat feels Doggie nuzzle her and absently nuzzles him back.

"Is that why there are scratch marks all over your desk?" Doggie chuckles quietly.

"No, that's from when you'd frustrate me," Kat laughs at Doggie's scandalized face.


	12. Checkup Three

_Checkup Three_

"Good morning," Felix turns to see Kat coming in alone, "Kat?"

"Morning, Felix," she greets, "Doggie's busy with the rangers."

"I see," Felix wheels over to her with his stethoscope ready. "Thinking about things?"

"Yeah," Kat starts on a downhearted note, "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"That's what all mothers say," Felix chuckles and goes through the examination steps.

"Well, there's not just that," Kat says seriously now. It catches Felix's attention, "it's about...home."

"What's wrong, Kat?" Felix is not from the origin planet of Kat's, but he shares enough of her blood and breed to consider her family.

"I'm the last of the purebred Feli, Doggie's the last of the Sirians. This child," Kat rubs her belly smoothly, "is the last hope for our kinds."

"Kat," Felix breathes, "I had no idea you felt this way."

"Well, I had been trying not to think about it," she laughs a little, but there are tears in her eyes. "I just...miss it, sometimes, you know?"

"Of course," he nods solemnly. They don't talk about it much, for good reason, but Felix knows Kat misses her family dearly. She had her parents, and four brothers. After that she even had a husband, whom she also lost.

"I wish," Kat takes in a misty breath, "I wish they could be here for it."

"Oh, Kat," Felix nuzzles her comfortingly as she cries quietly. "I know you miss them."

"This—my baby is the last hope of our kind, and I don't even know why I was the last one left. I have no idea why I'm the only one of my breed, now my son is going to have to carry that burden on his shoulders. Not only that, but he's half of the last Feli, and half of the last Sirian. He already has so much expected of him! It's not fair!"

Felix sighs, because it isn't fair. It's true, Kat's baby has a huge chip on his shoulder solely due to her and Doggie being his parents. There are many species who really were wiped out by the Troobians, and those who had a few survivors are struggling to repopulate. A mix of Feli and Sirian genes is complicated, but he'll be strong, and he can carry both DNA strands in him. Still, it's a hell of a load to carry from birth onward. "What brought this on?"

"Doggie was meeting with some officials the other day and I was with him. It was fine until they started talking about we're the last of our planets, and how the survival of our breeds depended on our young," Kat shakes herself of her tears and her thoughts.

"That's not right!" Felix hisses subtly in anger.

"I know, and Doggie was furious about it, but I told him not to dwell on it," she sniffs.

"Does he knows it's upset you this much?" Felix softens.

"No, I don't want him to worry about it. I know it bothered him too, he can't be worried about me blubbering all the time," Kat attempts to steel herself. When it was just her, it was easier, but the thought of her young one in distress sends her into a frenzy. "I just...I keep telling myself I'll be able to take care of him and protect him, but there's already so much I won't be able to keep from hurting him."

"That's just a part of being in the world, Kat. No matter what, there's going to be that awful part that knows you can't protect him from everything. All you can do is try, and that's the downside of being his mother—is that you can try, and you can save him from some things, but he will get hurt. As his mother, it's your job to comfort him and help him overcome that." Felix takes her hand in his.

"It's not right," she whispers, tears still flowing. One hand is in Felix's, the other sits atop Argos. "How am I supposed to live knowing there's so much out there that could hurt him."

"All parents do, and you just find a way to get through it doing the best you can. It's scary, and sometimes awful, but it's a risk all parents take, and it's not always bad." Felix sees Kat's struggle and shifts. "Consider this: you consider the rangers your kids, correct?"

"Yes," she sniffs and nods.

"You let them go out there and protect NewTech even though they could get hurt, and you worry about them, right?" he tilts his head and she nods for him to go on. "Well, even though you worry about them, you still let them go out and protect the world. It's hard, sometimes, and when they get hurt you feel awful, but you help them on their feet and assure them that it will all be okay. You guide them, help them, protect them when it's in your power to. That's everything a good mother does, Kat. You're already a mother, you already have kids, this one is just a little younger."

Kat's smile breaks through like the sun breaking through rain clouds. It's soft and gentle and makes her beauty glow. "Thank you, Felix, you're a wonderful friend."

"I do what I can," he shrugs and smirks at her. "You need to talk to Doggie, though."

"Felix, he's already worried sick about everything else. Between his promotion, the kids, Argos' arrival, and me—I don't think he's been sleeping!" Kat shakes her head, "I think he just sits in bed watching to see if I move too much in my sleep."

"He is a worry wart when it comes to you," Felix chuckles.

"I guess I should talk to him about how he feels about this. He was furious in that meeting, and he would have ripped their holograms apart if I had let him. I didn't want him to know I was bothered by it, though, and I really didn't want them knowing it," Kat mutters, "bastards."

"Chances are he feels the same as you," Felix assures her. "You two are weirdly in sync."

"We are not," as she says this one ear picks up without her consent, "Doggie's back."

"See?—you know what's going on with him all the time," Felix full on laughs, now. "The other day I was with him and he mentioned that he was worried you should be on bed rest. It was at that very minute you video called us and asked if we were talking about you!"

"That's just a woman's intuition kind of thing," she waves off in good humor, "part of being a wife. I know when he's talking about me, and I know when he's talking about other women."

"When has he ever talked about other women?!" Felix's jaw drops.

"He doesn't really, but on the off occasion he mentions another woman, I know about it," Kat folds her arms. "There was one time he mentioned this particular liaison from the Australian base. He insists he was speaking professionally but I still think he thought she was pretty."

"You have to work on this jealousy thing," Felix smirks, "and even if he did, it would be because she looked _exactly_ like you."

"She did not!" Kat hisses, "her hair was longer and I'm pretty sure her breasts were bigger than mine."

"I do not want to have this conversation," Felix waves, "but she looked just like you, Kat. Her name was Michelle Langstone, she was your height and looked like your twin, but human."

"Whatever," Kat huffs unhappily. "She did not look like me."

"She was basically a human version of you."


	13. Aunt Z

_Aunt Z_

"Kat, what are you doing?" Z rushes to Kat's side.

Kat sighs to herself but smiles. She welcomes Z's company but she was hoping she could at least do this without someone rushing in to sit her down yet again. All she wanted was a friggin' snack, so she came to make a tuna sandwich. She's hungrier than that, though, so she decided to treat herself to a full meal. That entails being on your feet, though; something no one has really let her do as of late. "Hey, Z, I was just making some lunch."

"Didn't Felix tell you to stay in bed as much as possible?" Z comes sauntering in.

"Sure, but I've been in bed since Doggie got the order, and I'm going to up and expire of boredom. There's only so much a person can read in bed, alone," Kat shakes her head, still stirring some mixture of some sort. Doggie and Felix are off to meet with a colony.

"Four hours without your hubby and you're going stir crazy?" Z joins Kat at the counter of the kitchenette and takes a look around. There are several things of cream sitting about, as well as the remnants of some sort of seafood. "What are you making, here, Kat?"

"Seafood chowder," she replies happily, still stirring. "It's a special recipe from my planet. I was craving something other than tuna."

"Wow, it is a special day," Z flicks some detritus away from her place at the counter and smiles; "anything I can do?"

"Sure, if you want, you can get that pot on the burner for me, please," Kat checks the concoction in her arms and takes a taste. It suffices, bringing a soft mew of satisfaction from her.

"This is...weird," Z notes offhandedly, but still smiling. She senses Kat's silent question and continues, "I've never really cooked, just, y'know, in the whole motherly setting."

Kat pauses in her actions and waits for Z to continue.

"When I'd cook for Jack, on occasion, it'd usually be in whatever soup kitchen we'd found for the time. Sometimes I'd help with the cooking to pitch in. When I was older I could take my own shift as the chef of the kitchen. It was simple, and not exactly plentiful, but it felt good enough, and it helped us get a hot meal from time to time. The older ladies were always really nice about it too. That was probably the closest I'd come to having a mom... "

"Z," Kat begins and steps toward her but Z shows her a brave, teary smile.

"Until I came here, though. You made Jack and I feel welcome, always. We grew to be more of a family, you became more of a mom to us that we can remember ourselves. I know we had parents, but...the memories are hazy at best. Then, we came and you and DC welcomed us with open arms." Z sees Kat brimming with emotion and confusion and tries to take on a lighter note. "I mean, it's like...okay, so, we're a family. DC's the dad, who loves us, but also scares the crap out of us. You're the mom. You're the mom who holds us all together, whether you're keeping the boys' heads out of their asses or keeping Syd and I from ripping each other's hair out, you're our mom. We owe you a lot of who we are, you know, Kat. There's nothing the guys wouldn't do for you, Syd and I too, for that matter. You should have heard them when they found out you and DC were officially a thing."

"What?" Kat smirks and quirks her ears.

"Oh, they're on board, but they just about had a fit. Jack was the first to speak up. He was all: 'he better not break her heart in some rebound thing'," Z mimics her brother's voice with unfortunate accuracy. "Bridge said we should be supportive, no matter how disturbing it was to think about. Then, of course, he did agree that if DC did anything to hurt you he'd run him over with the delta runners. Sky was pretty subtle about it, but he basically said that if you ever seemed unhappy he was going to compress DC in a forcefield. Face it, Kat; you have three super protective sons."

Kat laughs at Z's story, but feels her heart warm all the same. Her kids are sweet, and she doesn't have too hard a time picturing her boys with their feathers ruffled over all this. "What about you and Syd? How did you feel about all this?"

"To be honest, I was less than surprised. Syd and I always thought it was less than a matter of time. I am disappointed that we didn't catch on earlier, though. Still, it was easy to tell from the start, and not in a lovey–dovey kind of way, either."

"Okay, what does that mean?" Kat tilts her head.

"I mean, it's not like we could say you just, like, had a crush on each other or something. You could tell, you guys were really in love. You just...you completed each other, balanced each other, became each other's better half. We hardly ever saw you apart, and when you are apart, you're much less happy. It's really obvious, too. I mean, you two just fit. I don't think I've ever seen DC smile as much as when we got you back after Benaag took you. He was furious when we found out and he was ready to kill him. When we saw you, though, he lit up. He was soft and smiling and he just seemed that much happier with you by his side again. If the guys are protective of you then DC is your guard dog, wrapped around your little finger." Z speaks with a wistful kind of detachment, stirring the mixture in the pot with a small smile. "It was a strange thought, at first, to think that you two were going to have a baby. Now, it's just so natural I can't really remember a time when you weren't already seeming to be married."

"Really?" Kat's question is small, but sweet and warm, like honey off her tongue.

"I thought you were married, when I first arrived. Seeing you interact I had my suspicions, then when I saw him smile at you I legit thought you were at least sleeping together. I asked Syd, and she said that while you weren't an official thing, it was like an unspoken rule that you were his and vice versa. It explained why I never really saw anyone hitting on you," Z bobs her head.

"I can't believe how perceptive you are, how much you've grown," Kat brushes Z's cheek affectionately. "My kids are growing up. You're going to be a wonderful mother yourself."

"Someday," Z shrugs with a smirk.

"Well—" Kat's expression changes in a lightning split second. Her eyes grow wide and she braces herself on the counter.

"Kat?!—Kat, what's wrong?" Z asks, immediately by her mother's side. Her hands ghost around her, trying to detect the problem.

"Oh, no," Kat whispers, lowering herself into Z's arms. "This isn't good."

"Kat, what happened?" Z brings Kat over to the lounge couch.

"Get Syd, call Doggie and Felix." Kat looks at Z seriously, "my water just broke."

"Your...your what?—I'm sorry?" Z stutters a bit.

"The baby is coming _now_!" Kat braces herself as the contractions begin.

"The what?!" Z repeats.

"The baby is coming!" Kat repeats.

"Oh, no," Z pales considerably. She knows nothing of delivering a baby, although she's kind of seen it on tv and in movies. Still, those were human births, and it doesn't mean she can do one herself. This isn't really her thing.

"Z, look at me, it's okay," Kat takes Z's hand and smiles, "I'm having a baby."

"You're having a baby," Z nods and repeats, taking a breath.


	14. Arrival

_Arrival_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T BE HERE IN TIME?!"

"I'm sorry, but we won't get back until Kat's well into labor. If we're lucky we can get back for the birth but you and Z will have to help her through most of the delivery," Felix sighs at Syd's face on the monitor.

"Um, hello, WE CAN'T DELIVER A BABY!" Syd blares at him.

"You'll have to, Syd," Felix sigh again. It doesn't help that Doggie is frantically pacing behind him. "We'll be back as soon as we can—"

"Let me talk to Kat!" Doggie barks from the background.

Syd goes over to Kat, who is being tended to by Sky, Jack, Bridge and all three Zs. She hands the woman the communicator, "here you go."

"Kat," Doggie sees the sheen of sweat on her brow.

"Doggie," Kat pants a little as Bridge dabs her forehead, "don't worry, you'll make it."

"I'm sorry, Love," he sighs and turns for a moment, "our shuttle's here, I'll be back as soon as I can. Try to hold on."

"I will," she promises.

"I love you," Doggie whispers discreetly to his wife and mate.

"I love you too," she giggles at his shyness of affection.

"All right, I'll see you in two hours," he nods and signs off.

"Okay, two hours, that's manageable, right?" Jack asks nervously. He has never been so scared in his entire life, including the times he thought death was certain.

"It should be—" Kat lets out a feline yowling sound as a contraction rips through her. When she gets to five centimeters she'll have to lie on her side and begin the gentle labor.

"Okay, Kat, breathe," Sky encourages, holding her hand tenderly, though he can feel her strength nearly crushing it. "Syd, a little help here would be nice."

"Here," she grasps the rubber band in her palm, turning her hand to rubber (an idea given to her by Kat). She doesn't feel anything as Kat begins gripping it like a vice.

"Breathe in, breathe out," Bridge encourages from beside her, doing the same.

"Okay, you're doing great, Kat," Z nods, while her two copies nod silently and massage her shoulders.

"Yep, just, try to relax until DC gets here," Jack wrings his hands.

"Okay, I've got blankets and hot water and some stuff Dr. Felix told me would help," Boom rushes in. He immediately pops the vile and hands it to Kat, who drinks it readily.

"Serum that helps dull contractions," Kat answers his unasked question. Another rips through her and she growls, "dammit!"

"Can't we do anything else for her?" Boom asks helplessly, entirely distressed at Kat's obvious pain. "How are we doing?"

"It won't be long until we have to lie her down and start the gentle labor. Felix said it could take up to six hours but it could also be as little as three, and we're at the half–hour mark already. He and DC better hurry the hell up." Z huffs in frustration as Kat lets out another cry.

"How far into it is she?" Boom asks uncomfortably.

"How should I know?" Jack guffaws.

"Do we...do we check?" Sky shifts uncomfortably.

"None of you are checking anything!" Kat barks at them through the pain.

"The time between them indicates centimeters, you dummies," Syd smirks at all of them, then her watch. "I'd say we're approaching five centimeters."

"Felix says we have to start delivering at eight, no matter what," Z says deeply.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Jack shifts beside an equally terrified Boom.

Syd grunts as Kat crushes the bones no longer in her hand, "we won't have a choice."

"Guys, we can't do this," Jack insists, still freaking out.

"Calm down!" Sky smacks his friend on the arm, "this is about taking care of Kat."

"Good goodness," she hisses.

"I think we're coming down to the wire, here," Syd shakes her head, checking her watch again. "We've got to lay her down."

"Okay," Z nods, while her duplicates aid in the repositioning. Sky lays a blanket over her worriedly. Two Zs hold her top half up, Syd, still offering her hand.

"Do...do we..." Jack trails off, even more freaked out than before.

"You don't do anything from this point on," Syd and the original Z both snap at him.

"Okay," Z breathes nervously. She positions herself by the foot of the couch.

"What, uh," Boom also finds himself at a lack of words.

"We're on our way," Z cringes a bit, "there's some blood, but Felix said that's normal."

"Has he crowned yet?" Syd asks.

"Not yet, but I'd say he's almost there," Z responds as evenly as she can; "dilated six."

Jack faints, caught by Boom, only before they both collapse to the ground.

"Oh, great, seriously?—Sky, please, help them," Syd pleads to him, exasperated and literally with her hands full.

"On it," he nods to her and drags them both off to the side, "bunch of babies."

"Placental matter comin' out," Z announces, "birth canal should be clearing."

Sky doesn't hesitate to lean over the garbage and vomit; "I'm okay."

"Wusses," Syd shakes her head at Z.

"Each and every one of 'em," she agrees.

"Hey," Bridge mutter, from where he keeps a careful read on Kat and the baby.

"We're almost ready," Z says, worried.

"Eight centimeters," Syd nods.

"Where are they?" Bridge looks at them both anxiously.

"We have to start without them," Syd sighs, "ready?"

Z nods at her friend and elevates Kat's left ankle gently, "ready, Kat?"

"No, Doggie's not here," Kat growls out, clearly in pain and holding back.

"Kat, you can't wait any longer. He'll be here, I promise, but you have to start pushing, now. Argos is here," Z affirms seriously. Kat lets out another frustrated yowl but grunts. "Okay, good, 'atta girl, Kat, push."

"You're doing great, Kat, he's coming," Bridge smiles encouragingly, tracking their auras.

"This is not exactly how I pictured this moment!" Kat huffs with irritation.

"Same here," Syd nods.

"Heard that," Z huffs as well.

"I didn't picture myself in this at all, so," Bridge mutters but trails off instead of rambling.

"Push," Z urges Kat again. "Okay, I think he's gonna start crowning soon. Once he does, I'm going to need lots of towels for the blood."

"Here," Sky hands them to Z, though the blood already on the couch makes him turn away queasy again.

"Once his ears are out we need to get as much of him out as possible, at least to his shoulders, so he can breathe," Z and Syd nod at each other.

"Doggie," Kat moans, seeking her mate in distress.

"Dammit, she's bleeding more," Z grabs a towel and tries to stop the flow, but Kat's worry has increased the rate at which it comes.

"Kat, you've gotta calm down and try to relax," Syd strokes Kat's damp forehead.

"Doggie!" Kat pleads again, less than coherent.

"Are they here yet?!" Z turns frantically to Sky (the only helper conscious).

"They just got in!" Sky announces as soon as he gets the page.

"Get them!" Syd commands.

"On it!" Sky dashes off.

"See, Kat, he's here, but you've gotta push," Z pleads as gently as possible.

"Dammit!" Kat screams as a particular surge of pain shoots through her body like lightning.

"It's okay, Kat, you're doing great," Z encourages.

"How is he?" she pants between screaming and pushing.

"He's fine, Kat, just keep pushing," Bridge also urges gently.

"Kat!"

"Doggie!" Kat feels a huge breeze come in, and in an instant she sees her mate in front of her face. Through her sweat and teary eyes, she smiles and pants. She draws her claws from the couch cushions and strokes his cheek, "you're here."

"Of course, Kat," Doggie kisses her hand in his signature form of affection for her. "I couldn't miss the birth of our son."

"How are we?" Felix asks near panic as he rushes in.

"We're almost there," Syd says as she and Z stand back, making way for Doggie and Felix. Instead, they take their place by Kat's other side, holding her other hand in support.

"Here we go," Felix says to his friend as he prepares to deliver, "push!"

Kat screams again from the strain of delivery.

Doggie's ears lower, not only from the pain of her screams but also from how awful it is for him to see her in this kind of pain; "you can do this, Kat."

"You're good, Kat, just a couple more," Felix coaches.

"Doggie," Kat whimpers weakly, in terrible pain.

"I know, Love," is all he says, licking her face to comfort her as best he can.

"Push!"

"Almost there!"

"It's okay, Kat."

"Just a little more."

"Keep going... "

"Almost there... "

"One more!"

"You can do this."

"He's coming!"

Kat lets out one last scream of absolutely shattering exertion before it goes silent. The room in the air comes to a standstill and everyone holds their breath except for her. She pants and lets her tears fall, completely spent.

A canine whining is heard, intermingling with the humanoid cries of an infant. Felix wraps the mass in a towel, clearing away the little blood that clings to him. He wraps him in a blanket and comes up to Kat.

"Felix," she whispers as Doggie strokes her forehead.

"Meet your son, Argos," Felix whispers down to her.

Argos is tiny, but also seems large at the same time. He has the peachy skin of Kat, but with blue scales dotted about where Kat would have speckles patterned. His ears are shaped more like Doggie's. As he becomes more aware of his surroundings he begins searching for his mother's comfort, blindly.

"Argos," Kat is sat up against Doggie's body and accepts her pup. She holds the light bundle in her arms and cries happily, "hello, my baby boy."

"He's perfect," Doggie nuzzles her and gazes at his son in amazement. He has never felt this kind of happiness or pride. He reaches a paw to stroke his son's cheek, who responds.

"Oh, my," Syd chokes on her tears, gazing at the little pup.

"Goodness," Z finishes, also misty in the eyes.

Kat rocks her son and nuzzles his tiny form, at which her emits a low vibration, like a canine purring sound. It's so much like the rumbling Doggie makes in his chest when he's content. "You're just like your daddy, little one."

"He looks more like you," Doggie chuckles deeply, "which is good."

"Oh, your muzzle is plenty handsome," she sighs and nuzzles her loving husband and mate. More tears of happiness escape as she purrs. "I can't believe he's ours—our son."

"I know," he whispers into her cheek affectionately.

"Mm," she sighs, "will someone wake up my bigger boys so they can see my little boy?"

Syd smiles and goes over to them, nudging them with her foot. "Wake up, wusses, the real baby is here."

"Hm?" Boom is the first to jump awake, nervously.

Jack, startled awake, also jumps a little. "What's going on?"

"The baby's here," Bridge says in a hushed voice, gesturing to be quiet. He reads the aura, tiny and pulsating with new life. A gentle aqua shade wafts about like mist, glowing vibrantly.

Jack, Sky and Boom scuffle over sheepishly. As they come into view they see Doggie standing guard over his family. Kat sits upright, holding a bundle of cloth. When closer, they can see it's Argos, the little Cruger pup.

"Holy," Jack murmurs, staring at the baby in awe, "you're gonna be a li'l ass kicker."

"Seriously, you're gonna swear in front of a baby," Z scolds him with annoyance.

"He's so cute," Boom interrupts their banter. True, the pup holds traits of his father, but he looks mostly like Kat. Overwhelmed with emotions Boom hugs Kat gently, so as not to upset the little one. He has no words for the moment, but he hopes his mentor and friend understands what he's trying to say. He loves her, and her baby, and is fond of her husband in a friendly sense.

"Hey there, little Argos," Sky coos to the baby, offering his fingers. Argos follows the movement with his nose, eyes still shut. "Welcome to the world, little legacy."

"Hi, mini–Cruger," Bridge greets as well.

"Those are your uncles, Argos," Kat whispers to her pup. As he stirs she brings her nose to brush his softly. He purrs into her again and nibbles on the tip of her nose fondly, though he doesn't really have teeth yet. Feeling his mother giggle he lets out a kind of yipping noise. While squirming, his eyes slide open, revealing stunning orbs of green, filled with flecks of blue. As he sees his mother and father over him he yips in pleasure, reaching his arms around. "Well, hello there, handsome."

"Wow," Jack, Syd, Boom and Z all join in the crowding around to see his eyes.

"Welcome to the world, Argos Cruger," Felix smiles gently. He brings out a piece of paper and holds it up. "You need to sign his birth certificate."

"Doggie," Kat says before handing Argos to his father, who enjoys clawing at his large, dark, wet nose. She signs the paper crisply, in spite of her exhaustion. Doggie holds Argos in one arm and signs with the other. "You're really ours, little pup."

"How do you like that, my boy?" Doggie chuckles deeply as Argos continues to paw at his nose, laughing at the sensation of wet.

"Welcome to the family," Bridge smiles. "May I hold him?"

"Of course, Bridge," Kat hands him to Bridge, who is vigilant in holding him correctly.

Once Argos is settled in his arms Bridge smiles, "hi there, Argos. You don't know me yet, at least, not officially, that is. I'm your Uncle Bridge! I'm not related to you by blood, I mean, but that's not important, especially since our whole family is kind of unconventional. Still, it's totally awesome to have you here."

"Give him here, before you talk his ear off," Z smiles at her chatterbox friend and takes Argos easily. He stares up at her innocently, not unhappy to see her, "hey, Argos. I'm your Aunt Z. I'll be the coolest of your uncles and aunts, you see."

"Excuse me," Syd takes Argos just as gently, "I beg to differ, little guy."

"What about us?" Jack gestures to himself and Boom.

"You two knuckleheads will just be a bad influence," Sky smirks teasingly. He takes the baby from Syd easily and brings him close. "Hello, little guy; you don't know us yet, but we're your family. We'll be your uncles and aunts but your mom is also our mom, so we'll take care of you just as well as your blood family."

"That's right," Jack takes Argos, building up his nerve. "You've got an awesome mom and dad, but you've got us too."

"Totally!" Boom takes Argos as well, but in the process of taking him the young one begins to cry. Alarmed and just plain guilty, Boom cringes, "no, no, I'm sorry!—what did I do?"

"Nothing, Boom," Felix chuckles and takes Argos from the young man and back to his mother, who sat up worriedly at the sound of her child crying. "He's a pup, and to be away from his mother's arms for more than a few minutes will be hard for him for another two months."

"Momma's boy," Doggie smiles, though he does love seeing Kat receive their son and immediately nuzzle him in comfort. True enough, the pup calms immediately as he's settled into his mother's calming grasp again.

"Hush, little babe," she purrs into his tiny cheek. He calms and she's relieved to relieve her son's distress. She can't believe the love she feels, overwhelming her heart and being. "My precious baby boy, you're just the most darling pup I've ever seen."

Argos nuzzles his mother back in love and affection.

"I agree," Doggie licks Kat. He will hold his son later, when Kat is resting. He knows, though, that pups are more attached to their mother in early life; he'll have to get used to being held by Doggie little bits at a time. "He's as perfect as you are."

"Sentimental old dog," Katherine whispers to her husband. "I love you."

"I love you," he whispers. All eyes turn to Kat's arms, "and I love you, Argos Cruger."


	15. Epilogue: Like Mother, Like Son

_Like Mother, Like Son_

Argos is an ideal pup, contrary to the nature of Sirian young. He sleeps when his mother sleeps, doesn't fuss, and rarely cries. He's smart, like his mother, too. His Sirian aging combined with the natural genius of his Feli half makes him a natural at things like drinking from a bottle (now that he's two months old) and gesturing to be held.

"Morning, little pup," Doggie greets his son quietly. He is almost old enough to stop sleeping with them and move to a crib. Kat keeps trying to appear happy about it, but he knows it will break her heart a little. Even as he thinks this she sleeps soundly with their child wrapped in her arms protectively. Kat is a hyper vigilant mother, as a Feli and just as herself. As she lies on her side, Argos tucked to her flank, her eyes are still. She might seem restful but as soon as she senses anything going near the pup she's awake and ready to kill. Even though Doggie is the only one to escape this instinctual reaction he still respects her reflex and doesn't disturb either until they are both awake.

Kat's ears twitch at the sound of her husband's voice immediately. Since Argos' birth she has become an incredibly light sleeper. The smallest noise or motion draws her from sleep. Her Feli maternal instincts also keep her on red alert constantly when it comes to her young. The first time someone other than Doggie tried to pick him up while she slept she awoke like a shot and hissed violently. Poor Boom couldn't look at her for two days afterwards.

"Morning, Lovely," Doggie recognizes Kat's awakening and licks her cheek, earning him a smile and purring. As she awakens and purrs so does his son emit a canine kind of purring noise, like a soft growl. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine, thank you," she whispers. Argos stirs beside her and her smile widens, if possible. She gazes down at her son and kisses the crown of his thin dark wisps. "Good morning, my baby boy; did you sleep well?"

Argos simply gurgles and yips happily. His hands reach to his mother's curls and plays with them joyfully. When he tugs a bit too hard he recognizes her facial expression and lets go.

"He's as ingenious as his mother," Doggie chuckles and rolls over slowly. He lifts himself from the bed and gazes at his happy family. As he lays his snout on the bed Argos rolls over and smiles at his father, pawing at his muzzle.

"Come on, you," Kat picks Argos up and hauls them both out of bed. As he sits in the crook of her arm she brightens. "Is it breakfast time, Argos?"

The baby yips and lets his tongue hang out a little.

"Morning, guys," Z greets first as she switches Bridge's yellow apple to her in exchange for a green one. "Hey, little guy, you hungry?"

Kat smiles as her kids gather to greet her baby. They've taken to him better than expected, and are as vigilant as she could ask in taking care of him. Z holds him while Syd lets him play with her hair. He only lets the blond curls go to accept the pieces of banana Bridge offers. "Where are my red and blue boys?"

"They're out bringing in some perp," says Syd.

When Argos reaches out for more food Kat sweeps him to the counter and offers him some milk. She only breast fed during the first month after his birth, before he developed tiny, needle sharp teeth. Still, Doggie seems to have enjoyed her swollen bust plenty.

"So, today's the day, huh?" Bridge breaches the topic gently.

"Yep, he's moving into his own bed," Kat replies more tearfully than she planned.

"Aw, Kat, it'll be okay," Syd hugs her honorary mother figure without hesitation.

"I know, it's just a little sad," Kat sighs but pats Syd's shoulder. Argos smiles up at her innocently, unaware that his first night away from his mother's arms is coming.

"Sky and Jack are back," Bridge gestures to the monitors.

"I'll go ask them when they can start setting up the crib," Kat sighs again and hands Argos to Doggie. They all file into the hall, Kat, in search of her rangers, Doggie, headed back to their room.

Sky and Jack walk into base with a feral looking beast of an alien. It seems positively primal, without intelligence and certainly without language ability. They have it chained and collared but it still thrashes wildly, strong enough to give them a challenge.

It looks up and sees the crowd at the end of the hall. Its sense of smell tells it there are two adolescents, a _female_, and an alpha male. There is also the scent of a youngling – a pup – up for devouring. After that, it can move onto the _female_. Snarling, it pulls against its captors.

Doggie moves back with his son, growling fiercely. However, before anyone can move in front of him, his mate has taken off. She clears the length of the hall in less than five seconds, eyes clouded with white hot rage. Jack and Sky move to restrain her but she's strong and fast, driven by the need to protect her son. The chained beast fights against her the best it can, snapping its jaws and clawing blindly. It's no match for the maternal rage, though, and Kat claws it up like confetti. The scratches barely penetrate its hide, though her piercing strikes do make it howl.

"Kat, we got it!" Bridge is the one to reach Kat first, followed by Z and Syd, all three of them working to restrain her. Jack and Sky have restrained the miserable, now bleeding, thing.

Kat hisses in her Felisian language, telling it that if it looks at her son again she'll kill it. It seems to get the message, especially considering the wounds she gave it. As it's dragged out of sight she calms, slowly, her vision turning from red with fury back to normal. "I'm okay."

Argos cries, blindly aware of his mother's distress, in the instinctive awareness only a baby possesses. His cries and whines are shushed by his father but he keeps throwing a fit. Only when Kat approaches and touches his blue speckled cheek does he calm, gurgling at the touch.

"Hush, little one," Kat pants, more exhausted from the attack than she thought she'd be. She's rusty, she thinks to herself. It's a distant thought as her son's smile returns and she relaxes.

"He's not going anywhere tonight," Doggie says softly. "I doubt I could get him to let go of you regardless."

Kat wordlessly takes their pup from her mate's arms, doting on him for lack of anything better to do. It now settles with her how scared she was that something—anything could harm her innocent baby. Like a feeling she hadn't felt before it swallowed her, chilled her to her bones by turning her heart black. Then, it faded, and was replaced with white–blinding fury and the physical need to insert herself between her baby any possible danger. Now that the adrenaline is gone, all that remains is the lingering fear for her son and shakiness of shock. As she rocks him subconsciously she feels Doggie nudge her pulse point. Dragged back to her thoughts she purrs into him deliberately, loudly and gratefully. His snout on her pulse is a way for both of them to be assured that things are and will be all right.

"Kat, are you guys okay?" Sky and Jack jog over, fret and guilt written across their faces.

"We're okay," she nods and manages to smile.

"I'm so sorry, Kat, we shouldn't have brought him through here, we should have known to bring him in later," Sky trails off and runs an anxious hand through his hair. His worry over his mother and nephew consumes him, tearing at his insides.

"Hush," Kat silences him with a hand on his shoulder. She brings her entire family into a hug. "We're all okay, it's going to be fine."

B–Squad relishes in Kat's reassuring words and tone. The warmth in her voice makes them relax before they're even conscious of it. Argos is purring again, enjoying the warmth of love. Each person levels out their breathing and smiles.

"Isn't it, Argos?" Kat asks the pup, who yips and purrs.

Everyone relaxes further and gazes at Argos. He's petted and tickled and has his cheeks stroked lovingly.

"He's too cute," Syd coos to him.

"He's a li'l—"

"Do not swear in front of him," Z warns him while Bridge makes funny faces beside her.

"Worried about your momma, huh, little man?" Sky speaks with a softness no one had guessed of him before Argos' arrival. The care he takes with the pup is exceptional, and he has grown more protective of Kat in the past months, if possible. "Don't worry, she's tough."

"That she is," Doggie rumbles against her. He lets their rangers tend to his son wilfully, focusing on comforting his wife. Away from their words he whispers endearments to her as she stops shaking. "He's okay, Katherine, you're a good mother."

"I was terrified," she admits. She picked up the thoughts of that monster and how he looked at her little one like a chunk of meat. "I was so worried he'd be hurt... "

"Sh, I know," he nuzzles her delicately.

"S'okay, Kat," Jack pats a hand on her shoulder audibly. At the sound, Argos lets out a full blown growl, watching Jack touch his mother. He barks as threateningly as he can, which is still far too adorable for words. "Whoa, sorry, little man, it's cool."

"Better he growl at you than DC," Z smirks at her brother then at Cruger.

"True," Doggie says in good humor. Sky hands Argos over to him, though he immediately looks to his mother to check if she's okay. His eyes are big, and a whimpering sound comes.

"Oh, I'm okay, my brave, little, pup," Kat chides her young boy, though he smiles at her. "Come along, young one, I think you should have a nap."

"Get some rest," B–Squad waves and smiles at the family.

"Let's get you both settled for a rest," Doggie says firmly, hunched over Kat's form protectively. As he guides them into their room he nudges them to their bed. She sits on the edge and he takes her free hand in his paws. He lays a kiss to it tenderly and looks up. This is the woman he loves most in the galaxy, her luminescent green eyes shining at him like emeralds. Those eyes, that fill his dreams and touch his soul to its very core. "I love you, Katherine."

Kat blushes a bit, still sometimes caught off guard by her husband's intensity. She smiles at him almost shyly, "I love you too, Doggie."

"And I love you, little pup," Doggie nuzzles his son, who purrs. "You demonstrated great bravery today, and I am proud. Someday you'll grow to be a fine protector of the innocent, and of your mother, no doubt. You know, I said from the beginning you'd be a momma's boy."

"It's true," Kat smirks down at the son, whose eyes are drifting closed.

"Sleep, Kat, I'll be right here," Doggie strokes her curls.

Kat complies with a slow inhale through her nose. She lies herself down on the bed, tucking Argos close to her. His head rests atop her breast, listening to her heartbeat. She purrs into him, feeling his heartbeat and every breath he takes as assurance that her baby is safe.

Doggie smiles at his wife and son.


	16. Like Father, Like Son

_Like Father, Like Son_

"Argos Cruger, you stop spinning on that chair or so help me you'll be eating salmon for a week." Kat glances up from the Command Center console. Her eyes are stern but she wears a smile.

"Yes, Mom," Argos settles down into his father's mountainous chair sheepishly.

"Aw, come on, Kat, it's fun!" Bridge chirps from where he reads a comic book.

"Is that why you threw up the last time you spun on it?" Kat asks smoothly. Her son laughs brightly at it and her smile grows. "No one is spinning on that chair, it is for Commander Cruger, am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," all of B–Squad choruses, as well as her son.

"B–Squad," Doggie greets upon entry. They salute him and he nods at them. He comes to his chair and brings his son onto his lap easily. "How are you liking the Command Center?"

"It's awesome!" Argos exudes enthusiasm, watching every tiny going on in the room.

"Good, you might be working here some day," Doggie chuckles. From the time he could talk, Argos has insisted that he is going to be a great power ranger; it runs in the family, he says.

"I'm going to be Commander, like you, Dad!" Argos declares proudly.

"You've got a little while to go, pup" Kat glides over and gives her boy a fond kiss on the cheek, as well as a purring nuzzle.

"Mom!" Argos means for it to sound like a complaint but it's more loving than anything.

"I swear, the sound of your voice calms his soul like a tranquilizer," Doggie smiles at his wife and mate. Looking down at Argos: "when you were a baby pup you could throw a hurricane fit, but as soon as you heard your mother's voice you calmed."

"Kat has that calming effect," Z offers to the family's immediate left.

"Yeah, I mean, whenever you're mad at us she seems to calm you down," Jack chuckles to her left.

"He has a point, sir," Syd nods to his left, "you do go easier on us when Kat's around."

"Surely you don't all find this," Doggie looks around helpless.

"Actually, it's a well known fact that if you're angry, the best chance of survival is to find Kat," Boom nods. He throws a hand towards Bridge in their rock–paper–scissors game, which ends in another draw. "Remember the time I fried the console with soda? You were ready to kill me until I hid behind Kat and she convinced you that I would fix my 'naturally clumsy' mistake."

"You're also never as angry as when Kat's not around at all. In the one day she was gone to Supreme Command you chewed out, like, ten people," Bridge agrees.

"You were at Supreme Command?" Argos asks his mother innocently.

"Briefly, but I couldn't leave your father and my B–Squad," Kat smiles.

"You don't have to go back, right? Dad's Supreme Commander anyway, right?—I mean, even if you did, you'd still be here, right?" Argos' ears fold to a fearful angle.

"Oh, no, baby, I'd never leave. Even if I went anywhere, even for a week, I'd take you with me," Kat takes her son into her arms so he can sit on her hip.

"Really?" he perks up and she nods. "What would Dad do all by himself, though?"

"Excuse me, but why can't Dad come?" asks Doggie.

"Dad can always come," Kat leans over to kiss her husband.

"Eew, no, gross!—take it elsewhere," Jack scrunches his nose and buries it back into his book. The boys seem to agree, while Z chuckles and Syd says something about it being romantic.

"Eew, no, gross!" Argos copies his Uncle Jack, pawing at his parents' faces to pry them apart. They laugh a bit and he lets his tongue sit between his fangs. "That's yucky."

"I told you, I'm never going to get to kiss you again," Doggie says in mild jest.

"You're just jealous because I have a new man in my life," Kat teases back.

"Yeah!" Argos agrees and paws at his father's muzzle again.

"Rangers, problem downtown," Kat addresses evenly. She still holds Argos, if a little tighter, and tries not to alarm him.

"Can I say it?" Argos asks his father in a whisper.

"Go for it," Doggie smirks.

"Rangers, suit up!" Argos declares, already sounding eerily like his father.

"Sir!" they salute Argos more than Doggie and escape down the hatches.

"Doggie, I can't tell exactly what it is but I'm getting an energy reading from Zantarian Sector," says Kat.

"Go," he nods and takes Argos, "just be careful."

"Mom, where are you going?" Argos becomes worried as he sees his mother step away.

"Don't worry, little one, I'll be back before you know it," Kat gives her son a lasting kiss on his blue speckles and dashes away.

"Dad, where is Mom going?" the pup demands firmer this time.

"She's just going to look at the energy reading, don't worry, son, she'll be fine. She'll be with your uncles and aunts." Doggie senses his words are equally to quell his own worry as his son's. He worries about Kat going into the field too, but Argos has never been first hand to witness a field run happening.

Argos settles on his father's lap again, though his body language screams unhappiness. His ears are folded back, lips set in a pout. "I thought Mom stayed here for work."

"Usually she does, but sometimes she's needed to go into the city, because she's so smart," Doggie still tries to talk Argos' fear down.

"What if she get's hurt?" Argos tries his best to keep himself calm, but he can fear rising in his throat, and his lip trembling.

"She won't," this, Doggie can say with surety. He brings surveillance up and gets a glimpse of Kat working – beautiful, he thinks to himself – before some alien imbecile comes up on screen. "Boom, please take Argos to your lab."

"Yes, sir," Boom says seriously, sensing the pertinence of the moment and Argos' worry for his mother.

"No, I wanna stay!" Argos's eyes are glassy, now. "I want to stay to help Mom!"

"If something happens I will be there, but it's nothing you should have to see," Doggie tries to explain.

"No, I'm not going!" Argos digs his claws into the edge of the console, making dents in the chrome.

Boom looks helplessly to Doggie, who sighs, looking dark: "Argos, I am your father; do as I say and go with Boom. I will be here to protect your mother, if need be, but I can't work if I'm worrying about you too."

Argos sniffs in defeat, knowing his father has greater reason than he. He mutters fine under his breath and speeds off with the whirlwind speed of his father, past Boom and into his mother's lab. He clambers up onto her chair and accesses her own surveillance, although he knows he'll be in big trouble for it. The screen shows his uncles and aunts fighting against this thing, whatever it is. His mother is standing back, analyzing something with a wrist sampler she designed for herself.

"Hello, lovely lady," the alien addresses Kat after knocking B–Squad away with ease.

"Get lost," she bites at him, very unlike the loving woman Argos knows her as.

"Come on, sweetie," the alien reaches a tentacle forward, trying to draw her to him.

"I said no," she says coldly again. She extends her claws and slashes the thing away, though two more grow in its place.

"Get away from her!"

Argos is relived to see the rest of his family by his mother's side. Uncle Sky is on his feet first, and stands directly in front of Kat. The rest form a 'v' around her seconds later. They have all told him stories, of various things, such as ranger adventures or of his parents before he was born. Something they always emphasized to him was that they were family, and his mother was like their mother too.

However, Argos' worry comes back in full when the alien knocks B–Squad away and electricity courses through them. Their painful cries are upsetting, and as the alien nears Kat Argos is all but frantic.

A blur comes on screen and Shadow stands before her, his sword bared and ready.

"Don't even think about laying a hand on my wife!" comes his father's recognizable, angry growl.

"Oh, so this kitty cat's yours?" the alien laughs. He extends several tentacles but they're all deflected by the Shadow Sabre.

"We've got this, sir!" Jack stands and holds up his morpher: "judgement mode!"

Argos watches as the beast is captured and breathes in relief. Honestly, he wishes he could rush to his mother's aide like his father, but he's smart enough to know that's a battle he can't fight, let alone win. Knowing his mother is safe he slips off the chair and scurries back to the Command Center.

"Whoa, little man, what's up?" his Uncle Boom asks, kneeling down.

"I–I thought I'd see if my Mommy was back," Argos widens his eyes innocently.

"Sure, come on, buddy," Boom nods his spiky haired head and takes Argos' hand. "Worried about your mom, huh?"

"Yeah," Argos admits quietly. He will be able to celebrate properly when he sees his mother safe and sound for himself.

"Don't worry, pal, your dad's always taken good care of her," Boom assures his nephew. "Besides, your mom's a tough lady, she can take care of herself no problem."

"Sure, but it's Dad's job to take care of Mom." When Boom looks at him oddly Argos continues, "that's what he said."

"I bet he did," Boom laughs a little. "He's always been really protective of your mom, even before they were married."

"Good," Argos says, dead serious (so he doesn't know what's so funny to Boom).

"What were you doing in the lab?" Argos hesitates a moment, and it's all Boom needs. "Were you maybe looking at the satellite surveillance? Were you looking at it on your mom's computer like she told you not to do?"

"Yeah," Argos admits, folding his ears down again.

Boom leans down again and winks, "don't worry, little man, that can be our secret."

"Thanks, Uncle Boom," the pup smiles.

"Hey!" Bridge calls down the hall to Boom and Argos.

"Hey!" Boom greets back, still holding Argos' hand. "How'd it go?"

"No trouble," Bridge kneels as well and high–fives the pup in greeting.

"Where are my Mom and Dad?" Argos tries to ask casually, without worry.

"It's cool, pup, don't worry," Z smirks, "your dad takes good care of your mom."

"I know," Argos replies seriously, mouth set in a straight line (again, people laugh at his seriousness, and he can't fathom what's so hilarious).

"Here they come," Sky gesture down the hall to where Doggie carries Kat bridal style, both of them smiling. "Don't worry, that happens a lot; I think he just likes carrying her for fun."

"Of course I like carrying my mate," Doggie answers brazenly with an audacious smirk.

"Doggie," Kat scolds, giggling and blushing like young girl at something he's said.

"Then there are these two," Jack gestures to the two, "so cute it's idiotic."

"What have you been up to, Arg?" Kat is let down from her husband's arms and greets her son with a kiss.

"Nothing," he grins a little too innocently.

Kat regards her child with skepticism. She looks up at Boom, who nods. Both boys are dear to her, and equally bad liars. "Right, I'll let that slide until later."

"Did you beat that thing?" Argos asks upward in distraction.

"You bet!" Syd pats Argos' shoulder.

"You took care of Mom, right Dad?"

"Of course," Doggie looks down at his son seriously (finally, someone who gets it).

"Good," Argos's mouth is still neither a smile nor a frown.

"Were you worried he wouldn't?" Kat asks with the same suspicion.

"No, but since I can't, Dad is the next best thing." Argos folds his arms stubbornly, still unaware of what about his seriousness is so funny to the grownups in his life.

"Well, thank you for worrying about me, honey, but you don't have to. Your father takes excellent care of me," Katherine nuzzles her son, alleviating him of his cloudy demeanor. She purrs loudly and he giggles from the vibration.

"I know," Argos concedes.

"Come on, why don't you come back to the lab with me? I found some neat goop while I was out," Kat takes Argos' hand and leads him to the lab, everyone else behind them. He brightens considerably at the word "goop": one of his favorite textures.

"Yeah!" Argos cheers.

Everyone enters the lab, Kat taking her seat, Argos sitting next to her, and Boom, at the center console. Doggie stands by her side, a paw on his son's shoulder. B–Squad mulls about, going back to the things they were doing before they left. Things have been pleasantly slow since the fall of Omni, and they're still enjoying the leisure time offered. Jack and Z are reading. Syd flips through a magazine while Sky logs onto his personal system. Bridge and Boom are still playing rock–paper–scissors, _still_ without a conclusive winner.

"Hello, everyone," Felix greets as he too comes into the lab area.

"Hi, Uncle Felix!" Argos waves.

"Hello, Argos," Felix waves back and ruffles the boy's hair. He comes over to the bio– analysis station and begins working, muttering things between Kat and himself.

"Argos?" Kat asks and he lifts his ears. "Why is my surveillance window open?"

The pup is at a loss for response. Boom chokes on his spit and hacks conspicuously.


End file.
